


Flame of the Valar

by Zandrammas



Series: Queen of Valinor [1]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bits of the Silmarillion, Characters who dont actually exist, F/M, Lord of the Rings, Lord of the rings fanfiction, Possible Lemon, Roleplay, Roleplay Logs, depends on how things go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-07-10 23:37:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15959978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zandrammas/pseuds/Zandrammas
Summary: The Queen of Valinor, Aerilaya, is given a chilling vision from Iluvuatar. Sauron was no fool, he made precautions should the Hobbits prevail. Upon his death he released Melkor's last corruption: a dragon made of pure shadow. As a being of light, the Queen knows she cannot defeat this terrible evil alone and therefore enlists a well known individual from another universe. Together, Kaliel and Aerilaya embark on a journey across Middle-earth to slay this beast. Should they fail, all of Arda would surely fall into eternal darkness.





	1. A Cry for Aid

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to a new story featuring my favourite OC: Aerilaya! This is by far my favourite role-play plotline I've been involved in, and therefore thought to share it. My partner and I try to reply at least once a day so you can expect updates once or twice a week. This shall be a long one indeed, for I have much planned. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

After a war spanning four ages, peace had finally settled in Arda. Or so the youngest Valar thought. Morgoth, a lord of the darkest power bides his time deep beneath Valinor, and Sauron has been vanquished by no less than two hobbits. Thus with the crowning of a new High King of Gondor, the promise of a golden age lay on the horizon. Middle-earth’s people shall prosper under Aragorn Elessar II and the elves will join their kin in the Gray Havens to set sail for the east. However amongst all the joy and finality, none notice an approaching calamity. Perhaps the greatest threat since the reign of Morgoth, an evil hungers in the depths of Mordor. For it was upon the day when the One Ring was cast into the fiery hell of Mount Doom that He awakened; the last corrupted creature of Morgoth’s creation. Sauron was no fool, he took precautions when he lost his ring. Should by some miracle the mortals of Middle-earth prevail and he die, Zi Drok will awaken. He is a dragon made of pure and utter darkness, taken from the very heart of Morgoth himself. His size and ferocity rival even Ancalagon the Black who was slayed before the First Age even began. He who is also named Black Demon had slept since he was created, his domain deep within Mount Doom. Sauron’s last move to bring Middle-earth to it’s knees was to release this great beast, and this time no hobbit nor Dunedain King will be able to stop him.

A blanket of rich azure speckled with the twinkling of distant stars crest upon Valinor’s horizon. Night has descended midst the city of alabaster stone that stretches along Aman’s coast. Varda’s enchanting music lulls immortals below to sleep as she weave balls of fire into the sky. None dare to venture out while darkness reigns, not even the most powerful Valar who claim Valinor as home. Despite all possible danger being either defeated or imprisoned, the minds of the immortals whom live here cannot forget the dark’s cruel embrace.

Within this ancient city there be a magnificent castle built of smooth stone with golden highlight. It is a marvel to all who visit it, for it has held only the most powerful Ainur who have ever touched Aman’s earth. Before the First Age, Manwe and Varda ruled from this domain of immortal light. Now only the youngest Valar live here, for she could not leave her children unlike that of her siblings. She made these grand halls accented with gold leaves her home and took up the mantle of High Queen. While her brothers and sisters await Iluvatar’s light, she alone remains to stand against any threat to her people.

The soft caress of moonlit rays filter through the glass windows of Aerilaya’s room, casting her curvaceous frame aglow upon her bed. Deep within fitful slumber, she reaches forth to grip the lavender satin sheets that encase her pale flesh. Cold sweat beads her scrunched up brow whilst vast locks of spun starlight lay askew around her crown. A nightmare wraps its spindly digits around Aerilaya’s dreams, its terrible visions coaxing out groans of displeasure from her throat. Just as the nightmare’s grip seemed to have lessened, a high pitch scream erupted from the Valar. Magenta eyes snap open in the confusion and she shoots up from her bed, holding its sheet to cover the swell of her naked breasts. Aerilaya breathed heavily in the dark room, her form trembling as she try to focus on the remnants of her vision. “By Iluvatar!” She exclaims under her breath, “I have not seen something so terrible since the rise of Sauron!”

Aerilaya suddenly stilled against the moon’s touch, its captivating light illuminating her unblemished skin. Eru Iluvatar had given her a vision upon this night, she could feel the remains of his influence in her mind and what a horrible vision it was. All that it promised is destruction and endless night. She saw the gory deaths of Iluvatar’s children and the promise of immortal chaos. She saw Arda mold into a land of darkness where only that of shade may walk upon. Aerilaya shivers while cold fear pumps through her veins, remembering the pair of ruby hued eyes that stared back at her in the vision. She knew not what form the slitted eyes belong to, only that it was the harbinger Iluvatar warned her of.

The Valar made of purest light glided over to the golden windowsill, basking in the comforting glow of starlight. She could not count on the help of the other Valar, she knew they no longer wished to participate in the events of Arda. No man, elf or dwarf would hold the power against such a foe as one made of shade. Even she, Iluvatar’s strongest daughter, could not survive when her weakness was the very essence of darkness. Who could she call upon to aid in this imminent battle? Who has the power and drive required to truly rid Arda of this evil?

Aerilaya mulled over her limited options as she drifted towards her wardrobe, enjoying the feeling of her bare feet upon cold marble. Oaken doors embroidered in gold vines stood before her as she stretches her slender fingers forth to crack them open. She chooses a flowing gown of pearl decorated in white lace and slips it on, sighing as the soft fabric brushed her flesh. There is one she has heard tales about, a man born of fire who hails from another dimension. Aerilaya was never one to trust strangers, but there was naught else she could do. Her power alone could not defeat a beast made of shade, and asking this man for help was her only option.

The Valar beckons a spark of ivory flame to erupt from her palms, its writhing warmth expanding along her arm and blanketing Aerilaya’s form in the brightest light. Immediately she is being shot across the void, breaking past the walls of her own dimension and into many others that lay beyond. Upon finding the one she desires, she bolts onto its path. Quickly, she finds this man she has heard about. If she linger for more than a few minutes she may risk being trapped in this other dimension forever. Still encased in the purest light, she approaches this red-haired being with a fearful look in her eyes. “I apologize for this inconvenience but I am in need of your aid.” Aerilaya’s musical vocals ring out, her features remaining impassive despite the terror that clench her gut.”A monster of darkness threatens my realm, one of which I cannot stop alone. I know that you do not know me, nor I you. Yet I implore you to help me defeat this calamity . I do not know if me or my realm will be able to survive without your assistance.” In serene finality, she meets the sharp gaze of this unknown man before her. “My realm is called Arda. I do hope you at least think about helping me and my people. May Iluvatar light your path in the darkness.” In a ball of starlight Aerilaya left, hoping against all odds that he would help her.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Water was still cascading down the fire fiend's brawn when the femme appeared to him on the bank of the Rhodes in a streak of white light. There was no mistaking this for an illusion; not when the effects of her magic were so apparent to the naked eye.  
  
Dandelion irises stare daggers at the apparition, his painted musculature freezing in place. No attempt was made to protect his modesty; not when such an urgent matter was so suddenly dropped on his plate. There was no questioning the validity of her plea - not when the fear and desperation both were so apparent in each otherworldly eye. And so he listened, waiting for the woman to explain herself in full and offer him transport.  
  
Neither occurred. Just like that, he was again by his lonesome, with only the distant rumble of a waterfall and the chatter of birdsong to fill his ears. His jaw still hung agape when her light faded, a hand reaching, as though capable of grasping her from where he stood.  
  
"Arda ..  
  
Arda."  
  
Kal was still rolling the word on his tongue as he flipped the pages of every book on geography known and studied by mankind. No matter how much he read and who he asked, not a single bookkeeper could point him in the right direction, and he was at his wit's end until a piece of text caught his eye, detailing a lustrous realm of apparent fiction known only as Arta -- a local misspelling of the word, it must've been.   
  
Long hours scoured the few paragraphs that detailed this legendary Arda, seeking some information on the citizens and, more importantly, the way to find it. Bags formed under his eyes as sleepless nights ensued, keeping the fiery outlaw pacing until dawn.   
  
For every time he closed his eyes, her soft lips flashed in his memory, begging for aid.  
  
"Witch!"   
  
Anger overtook him. Tearing the page from the dusty tome, he threw the crumpled paper into the firepit with all the contempt of a teenager. Ink dripped from the blackening page. Flames ate away all knowledge of the infamous "Arta," erasing its place in history.  
  
But Kal could see it in the flames, now. A world beyond this one, full of life and death, and light and dark - a delicate balance so easily tipped. The sight drew him close, nose practically buried in the pit of writhing flames as a city laced with pure gold erected itself among the tallest of flames. It looked so real.  
  
Like he could reach out and--  
  
Cool marble welcomes his scarred complexion. The world spun wildly around him - but only in his head. Traveling between dimensions was not for the untrained, and for a moment longer, the world refused to focus for the feni's dilated golden gaze. But focus it finally did, and Kal soon came to terms with the slender feet that stood before him, belonging to the Valar whose face haunted his every waking moment.  
  
And at that moment, he didn't know whether he wanted to kiss her or curse her.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

  
Days flew by without a word from the man Aerilaya had visited. She supposed not all beings could easily slip between worlds, not that she provided easy directions to begin with. Communication was still something in which the femme still struggled with, despite being Queen of an entire nation. She was known for being the most silent yet wisest of the Valar, rarely did she speak for fear she would make a fool of herself. Indeed, this divine Goddess of immense power and experience was as shy as a newborn fawn.   
  
Aerilaya’s brows furrowed against pale features in thought, a sigh slipping past her full lips. Her slender frame leaned against the white marble railing of her balcony, lithe fingers brushing against the cool stone. Her unblemished face angled itself towards the silvery disk in the sky, setting magenta orbs alight with its touch. Silvery strands of starlight flowed down her back like a waterfall, its softness caressing her naked back and tickling her tailbone. A gown of thin lavender embraced Aerilaya’s flesh; the fabric pooling around her bare feet. The dress clung to the Queen’s lush curves, its bodice etched with silver leaves diving down between her breasts. Nestled in between her mounds is the last Silmaril, its aqua hue shimmering in the moonlight.   
  
Bathing in Varda’s starlight, Aerilaya’s mind wandered once again to the copper-headed rogue she had visited. She should not concern herself with the possibility of the man not coming to her aid. If it was truly fate, she knew Iluvatar would see him to her realm. It was him who sent her the visions after all. The Valar felt somewhat comforted by the fact her father was watching over her and all of Arda. Surely Zi Drok would not prevail while Eru Iluvtar watched over Ea.   
  
The shadowy menace had finally made himself known during the last few days. Aerilaya’s vision had stretched across middle-earth, desperate to find the terrible fiend that plagued her nightmares. Alas, even with all her power she could see nothing but pitch when her gaze turned to Mordor. If she lingered too long in it’s eternal haze, tendrils of shade would slide across her skin in the effort to drag her further into the abyss.   
  
Suddenly, the strangest sensation overtook all of Aerilaya’s senses. An immense heat flared in her chest, whilst a deathly chill shot through her bones and curled her toes. Panic bloomed beneath the Queen’s normally steely exterior. Her violet tinted hues scanned the alabaster marble surrounding her, unable to find what bothered her so. Just as soon as the feeling came, it left. Leaving only an ache behind…and a man.   
  
Aerilaya let out a startled gasp as she flew backward against the railing, heart beating rapidly in her throat. She let out a deep breath, calming her nerves before assessing the situation. To her surprise, an enchanting golden gaze met her own. The Queen lowered herself onto the chilly stone, leaning towards this mysterious newcomer. Upon closer inspection it became clear to her that this was Kal, the one who had filled her thoughts in recent days. Her emotionless façade relaxed slightly, allowing a kind smile to slip upon her plump lips.   
  
“I am glad you have come.” Though softly spoken, her words held greater meaning than even she knew. Hesitantly she slid her pale hand towards him, offering to help him up.   


* * *

  
Through an illusion, Kal had seemed such a distant thing, and it wasn't until he now existed here, in the flesh, that his appearance truly dragged at the eye, entirely unique to these lands.  
  
Crimson cascaded from his scalp like thick silk, oddly reluctant to become tangled. It traveled in rivers down his shoulders, the very color of oxygenated blood, and could nearly reach his tailbone, it was so long. Stray locks spilled before his face, soon raked behind his ear after a large mitt accepts her assistance in standing.  
  
He hadn't arrived with any semblance of battle preparations. A white shirt did its best to conceal his painted torso from the world, though the tribal markings spiraled in a sleeve down to his wrist. A powerful frame fitted his rather common streetclothes, shoulders obviously broad and chest peeking from the v-taper of his shirt. The collar was untied, strings hanging from their loops, and his belt held no sheathe nor other tools of war.   
  
And he was tall, taller than even most Gondorians. It wasn't until he was standing that it became so apparent. Lionlike gaze warmed the Valar's cheeks, later drifting down the path of her exposed sternum as the gentle glow of the Silmaril tugged at his attention.  
  
"I haven't been able to sleep, thinking about yo A deep ache entered Aerilaya’s chest upon hearing the words Kal murmured into the night. When his strong hand gripped her slender one, she was shocked by how warm his skin felt. As if the purest fire raged from within his bloodstream. Such was the heat he bestowed upon this Vala, her palms humming with an intense heat left behind by his touch.  
  
Aerilaya’s magenta pigmented eyes collided with gold hues as the man rose to his full height. She studied him for a moment, taken aback by how different his physical aspects were compared to that of her kin. The Elves and Valar alike are thin, willowy things that were nothing but perfect in every way. Their complexion is always clear and beautiful, skin unblemished and soft. The man towering before her closely resembled the mortals of Middle-earth, though still bore an ageless beauty. Indeed, his long crimson locks resembled that of her own forest Children, yet not quite as smooth. Upon closer inspection, Aerilaya noted the fact that even his body was not like those she had known. Even so, the Queen could not help but admire the hard muscles that rippled beneath his white tunic. Having the ability to never scar, she even admired the sharp slashes that decorated his exterior. Rather than take away from his appearance, they added an exotic allure.  
  
A streak of crimson bloomed across Aerilaya’s features as she mentally chastised herself for harboring such thoughts. Yet her heart took over her actions instead of her mind, allowing the Vala to reach towards Kal’s intimidating visage. Her slim fingers gently caressed his sharp jaw before sliding across his lips, enjoying the sensation of his course flesh against her own. As if finally realizing what she was doing, her hand snapped back to her side. The Valar desperately tried to wipe away the sudden embarrassment that flared up to her pointed ear tips.  
  
“You surprise me with your bold words, Rúatan -o runya. This is no dream, though you find yourself within the Pelóri. I am truly here as you are.”  
  
Despite her words, Aerilaya could not help but feel this was a dream also. For never has a man such as this graced Valinor’s halls. Many of her own kin would be filled with shame if they knew she had invited an outsider to Aman. However they were not gifted with a vision from Iluvatar as she was. Her siblings and Children did not know what was at stake.  
  
Kal’s penetrating opticals brought the Vala out of the haze that descended upon Aerilaya. What an ungracious host she was being to this soul! Weariness clung to him as clear as daylight, and here she is wrapped up in thought with no regard for who stood before her.  
  
“Daylight will soon break upon the horizon, Ur guime. It would not be wise to be seen by the Children that will awaken soon.” She murmured softly to him, gesturing the alabaster archway behind them.  
u," he replied breathlessly, not even beginning to try to process the exceedingly luxurious environment he'd stumbled into. The light that seemed to throb beneath her fair skin drew him like a moth to flame, though perhaps the metaphor was reversed between the two of them.  
  
"I'd have gone mad had I not."   
  
His flesh was hot to the touch, and far rougher than her own. Callouses wore his palm, and an assortment of nicks and scars were raised across the underside of his fingers, where once his hands stopped a heavenly blade from taking his life. And he hadn't yet released her fragile hand, skin as soft as feather down.  
  
Becoming suddenly aware of this, his fingers quickly released her, arm slinking back to his side. A small smile was offered in apology, head dipping ever so slightly.  
  
"I -- you didn't seem real. Your skin is so soft."   


* * *

  
A deep ache entered Aerilaya’s chest upon hearing the words Kal murmured into the night. When his strong hand gripped her slender one, she was shocked by how warm his skin felt. As if the purest fire raged from within his bloodstream. Such was the heat he bestowed upon this Vala, her palms humming with an intense heat left behind by his touch.  
  
Aerilaya’s magenta pigmented eyes collided with gold hues as the man rose to his full height. She studied him for a moment, taken aback by how different his physical aspects were compared to that of her kin. The Elves and Valar alike are thin, willowy things that were nothing but perfect in every way. Their complexion is always clear and beautiful, skin unblemished and soft. The man towering before her closely resembled the mortals of Middle-earth, though still bore an ageless beauty. Indeed, his long crimson locks resembled that of her own forest Children, yet not quite as smooth. Upon closer inspection, Aerilaya noted the fact that even his body was not like those she had known. Even so, the Queen could not help but admire the hard muscles that rippled beneath his white tunic. Having the ability to never scar, she even admired the sharp slashes that decorated his exterior. Rather than take away from his appearance, they added an exotic allure.   
  
A streak of crimson bloomed across Aerilaya’s features as she mentally chastised herself for harboring such thoughts. Yet her heart took over her actions instead of her mind, allowing the Vala to reach towards Kal’s intimidating visage. Her slim fingers gently caressed his sharp jaw before sliding across his lips, enjoying the sensation of his course flesh against her own. As if finally realizing what she was doing, her hand snapped back to her side. The Valar desperately tried to wipe away the sudden embarrassment that flared up to her pointed ear tips.   
  
“You surprise me with your bold words, Rúatan -o runya. This is no dream, though you find yourself within the Pelóri. I am truly here as you are.”  
  
Despite her words, Aerilaya could not help but feel this was a dream also. For never has a man such as this graced Valinor’s halls. Many of her own kin would be filled with shame if they knew she had invited an outsider to Aman. However they were not gifted with a vision from Iluvatar as she was. Her siblings and Children did not know what was at stake.   
  
Kal’s penetrating opticals brought the Vala out of the haze that descended upon Aerilaya. What an ungracious host she was being to this soul! Weariness clung to him as clear as daylight, and here she is wrapped up in thought with no regard for who stood before her.   
  
“Daylight will soon break upon the horizon, Ur guime. It would not be wise to be seen by the Children that will awaken soon.” She murmured softly to him, gesturing the alabaster archway behind them.   


* * *

  
Sunlit discs opened wide, he burned the image of her graceful complexion into his mind, chin lifting ever so lightly beneath her cool touch. It was as though some mystic glow blurred her luxurious contours, turning every hard edge soft and delicate on the eyes. Had he not watched her lift her arm, he might never have known it wasn't feathers that left their sensory touch beneath his defined jaw.  
  
And the flush of color that spread across her cheekbones - it warmed his tired core to see such natural, unabashed evidence of humanity in her otherwise pristine exterior.  
  
Was she mortal? She couldn't have been, not when imperfections were unknown to the eye-catching maiden. Whether she was Queen, Goddess, or some nobleman's wife, it mattered little; Kal's battle-weary heart yearned to aid this entity of beauty and light, though his mind knew not why.   
  
"Children? Ah, this must be your home." Understanding dawned in cat-like eyes, though whether his assumption held any merit was yet to be revealed. "If you've a place for me, I'll stay out of sight." He almost expected the femme's young kids to dart around the corner at that very moment, but they never did.   
  
There was still much to be explained. And only now did he realize how ill prepared he was for this venture.  
  
Scarred hands patted his waist, finding little more hanging from his belt than a measly pouch of coin - irrelevant currency in this realm, undoubtedly - and a handmade hunting knife.   
  
"And I have no means in this realm, princess, lest you can equip me." Was she a princess? Perhaps not, but she looked more royal than any royalty he'd ever met.   


* * *

  
Kal’s rich vocals weaved around Aerilaya whilst she listen to him, periwinkle orbs focused solely on the broad man before her. He sounded so foreign to her, so unlike anything or anyone she had ever come across. For the thousands of years she has lived, never once had she become so enraptured in a person on only their second meeting. The Vala could have spent the rest of the night on the gilded terrace, bombarding him with questions or simply just standing close to him.  
  
“I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself, and for that I apologize.” A small smile played on the celestial beings full lips, her words soft against the subtle breeze of night. “I am Aerilaya Vanlanthoriel, Queen and Vala to the Elven people. You are in Valinor, home to my kin and the First Children.”   
  
When finished, her supple hands wrapped in the tanned male’s calloused ones. Magenta lamps sparkled within the ethereal glow of Aerilaya’s features as she gently tugged him along.   
  
“You may stay here if you so wish, as the other quarters are in the West Wing and I live in the East. I do not need sleep like mortals do, and will just read on the balcony until your fatigue has faded.”   
  
The crimson drapes hanging over the balcony door parted, giving way to a lavish room. It was one of the more grandiose chambers of the palace with a large window overlooking the gardens on the eastern half of the property; a king-sized canopy bed lay perpendicular to the window. The luscious mattress was cushioned with a luxurious cream-colored coverlet, and rows of pastel floral pillows lined the headboard. Sturdy wrought-iron posts rose to the cathedral ceiling of each corner of the bed’s frame with sheer, white fabrics draping the framework. The walls surrounding them were layered with arching brick of cream which divided the sleeping quarters from a lesser in size sitting area: furnished with a beautiful white chaise lounge strategically centered in front of a massive window.  
  
Positioned across from them was a dramatic antique vanity complemented by a small, wooden sitting stool. Stationed alongside the doorway to a connecting fresher, and a modestly similar wardrobe in the far-right corner.  
  
Aerilaya nervously chewed her lip, suddenly wishing her chambers weren’t so girly. She hoped it would be alright for him to sleep in, as she did not wish to wake the staff to prepare another room for him so far away.   
  
The Vala almost wished she did not let Kal’s hand go as she felt his intense warmth leave her, a heat which even now she secretly yearned for. Instead of leaving him to his own devices, she padded barefoot towards the large window opposite of the bed and leaned against the marbled pillars. The chilled stone prickled against her exposed back, the icy touch sending shivers up her spine.   
  
Moonlight filtered in through the pane of glass, casting Aerilaya’s temptatous form aglow in its rays. Slender fingers anxiously played with a stray curl from her ivory locks, her magenta gaze caressing the male’s form as she waited for him to settle in. She would leave once he slip into dream, but until then she would wait to see if he had any more inquiries. An excuse she told herself to not feel guilty about wanting to stay by his side a little longer.   


* * *

  
It was a blessing they shared the common tongue, though his accent was nothing these lands had before heard. Though thick with exotica, he used the language masterfully, as though perhaps it was native to his land rather than hers.  
  
At the mention of t he word Queen, he immediately dipped his head; an acknowledgment of authority and show of respect in virtually all established cultures. Surely she'd understand.  
  
"Kaliel, my lady."  
  
Had he just handed Aerilaya the very name he'd been spending centuries escaping? Somehow, the memories didn't weigh in him so heavily. They seemed so distant, now that he was here, and somehow he felt that the Valar would know the truth, regardless of how forthcoming he was about it. Regardless; she deserved to know who it was she called upon, before tasking him.  
  
"If I'd known a Queen wanted my company, I'd have worn something else--"  
  
Tugged by the smoldering hand by indescribably tender digits, the tall fire fiend followed closely, eyes briefly drifting down the slope of her naked back until his attention was required elsewhere.  
  
Signs of luxury run rampant throughout the spacious room; there immediately isn't a doubt in his mind that he's standing inside the Queen's own bedchambers. The bob of his adam's apple is telling enough - was he so sure this wasn't some sort of dream, and that he wasn't laying on the floor of the library, passed out? The Queen was /offering/ him her bed for the night.  
  
He couldn't imagine what the "First Children" might have to say about this. But he wouldn't push his luck, nor was Kal one to question good fortunes. Gods, that bed looked incredible.  
  
Without a second thought, he gripped twin fistfuls of his shirt, tugging the cotton fabric up over his head in a swift, efficient movement. He faced the bed, oblivious to the Queen's continued presence, and to her was revealed a myriad of crimson tattoos, tribal and blocky. They were a hauntingly similar shade to his blood-red hair, and they stretched in parallel stripes over the right half of his back, never quite crossing the spine. Sun-kissed muscle rolled with rotating shoulderblades, interrupted only by a thick streak of scar tissue just to one side of his exposed tailbone.  
  
The patterns created a sleeve from shoulder to wrist, stretching across tricep and bicep both in an eerie pattern. Veins lifted against the surface of his skin, the only other notable feature of his painted forearm. And as he turned for a curious glance out the window, it was revealed that the markings on his back were asymmetrical to the ones that scrawled down the right half of his torso.   
  
A phoenix raised its predatory head upon a chiseled pectoral, eye slit with rage. It was the origin for the remainder of the tattoos; each streak hailed from its direction originally, including the peculiar stripes that rippled over the right half of his carved abdomen.   
  
Vermilion silk tumbles over his painted shoulder with turn of his head, golden gaze finding himself very much still in her company. His shirt hangs limply from his hand, lips parted as he searched for something to say. Though surprised by her presence, he did not feel shame, nor any degree of embarrassment. No - he exuded a silent confidence, without needing to boast to do it.   
  
"Surely you /do/ sleep," he began, brows hitching with mild concern. It was a little unsettling just how sacrificial she had become for a foreigner - even if he had come to help. He half-expected the bed to come to life and devour him, or something equally deceitful.   
  
But eyes like that could not condemn him. They made his lonesome, fiery heart hurt.  
  
"Will you wake me come dawn, at least?"   


* * *

  
“Kaliel.”  
  
Aerilaya tested the word on her tongue, as if tasting it with her musical vocals. She kept to herself as the flame-haired male roamed her bedroom; crossing her slender arms and turning her somber gaze onto the garden below. Rows of rich carmine and alabaster roses bloomed outside, their silken petals basked in the moon’s pale touch. The grandest amber lillies lined the roses, stretching out towards the gate. In the centre of the garden a massive tree sprung from Valinor’s earth, thick branches of ivory spanning the entire domain. Silvery leaves clung to the mallorn and occasionally rained down on the foliage below like starlit droplets.   
  
The Vala hugged herself as a content sigh escaped her, marveled by the beauty of her garden. As soon as Kaliel rested they would be off to embark on their adventure. Deep sadness swept through her fragile heart at the thought. She may never see her lovely garden again.   
  
Aerilaya slightly shifted against the marbled window frame, allowing the moon’s rays to illuminate her feminine curves. She allowed the light to lovingly caress her skin in its embrace, feeling its power hum beneath pale flesh. For just a moment while in the light’s seductive arms, her mind wandered to her elusive siblings. They had left this place long ago, deciding it was time to let Iluvatar’s creations to fend for themselves. She had never once been tempted to join them, for she always found her place was here amongst the people. The femme had always found light within the life surrounding her, its purity sustaining her magical abilities. She had never thought she would leave her beloved elves of Aman. Yet if she didn’t, they would surely be swallowed up by the coming darkness.  
  
The starlit Vala subtly turned her magenta hues onto the masculine form before her. A red heat rushed to her cheeks and ear tips at what she saw, her mouth going dry. Kaliel seemed to had forgotten her presence and released himself of his restraining tunic. She bit her bottom lip as her sight traveled up and down his muscular form, drinking in every hard line and tattoo. An unknown warmth pooled between her thighs as she took notice of his broad shoulders, defined hips and tight abdominal muscles. Strands of the richest crimson fell down in waves to frame his tanned face; sun coloured optics gleaming within the darkness of the room.   
  
Lavender fabric glided along marble floor as Aerilaya left the window and padded over to where Kal stood. A haze descended over her when she approached him, compelled by the need to be but a little nearer to this man. Ever so hesitantly, pale fingers reached out to gently brush against heated skin. The Vala stared down at his broad chest with curiosity, fingertips tracing vivid designs etched into his flesh.   
  
“Such beauty..” She murmured half to herself, still drawn in by the male’s exotic markings. A pang of loneliness entered the serene maid’s eyes as she slowly lost herself to the raging fever building inside; a sensation she had forgotten long ago.   
  
Unwelcome memories of a past long buried caused the light within Aerilaya to dim, a heart-wrenching gloom taking place where once purity bloomed. Her hand seemed to miss the burning contact of her skin on his as she dropped it to her side. She angled her celestial features up at him, peering up at him through her long lashes.   
  
“I do not believe it is a Queen’s duty to wake those she employs.” She spoke softly to him, words full of amusement yet holding a tinge of sorrow.   
  
With refined grace Aerilaya moved away from him and turned towards the balcony door, the curve of her hips swaying with the movement. She stopped before the pillars leading to the terrace before peering over her shoulder at the befuddled man behind her.   
  
“Rest. For our journey starts tomorrow. Goodnight… Kaliel.”   
  
With those last words, she resumed on her path outside; form gradually being swallowed up by the night’s abyssal embrace.  


* * *

  
She spoke of beauty in reference to him, whilst being the very pinnacle of the word herself. For a moment, his free hand lifted, scarred digits moving to clasp her pale palm against his painted chest. But it was too fleeting a thing; her lithe digits had already slipped out of reach just before he could snare them in place.  
  
How'd he'd have liked just another moment longer to see her in the moonlight, ethereal and luminescent. Heavy with want, his eyes never lingered in one place too often, topaz irises drifting from her soft facets down the neck of her dress and back. She called to him, and he couldn't help but watch with a heavy heart as lustrous hips carried her dreamy shape further and further away, leaving his jaw slack and his chest sore.  
  
The apple in his throat rippled, unsettled by how she'd made him feel with just a simple touch.  
  
"Goodnight, Aerilaya .. "  
  
He didn't twitch a muscle until she'd entirely disappeared into the dark, golden ringlets searching desperately for some sign of her. Once he could no longer make out her alluring figure, he seemed suddenly released from her spell; he could breath again, thick chest expanding to welcome in all the air his lungs had forgotten they needed. Dry eyes blinked, remembering the moisture they required. And a heavy exhaustion settled over him, his body reminding him of the hours remaining until daybreak, and the lengthy road ahead he surmised.  
  
Turning back towards the bed, he let his shirt fall to the ground, soon letting his belt follow suit, and his dark trousers, too. To wear such peasantry amid silks was a crime; he was all too eager to slip his naked frame beneath the sheets, claiming the centre of the massive bed for himself. Luscious feather-down sank beneath his weight, stomach-down into the pale sheets so that cool air still tickled his painted back. A tanned cheek planted into the pillows, crimson spilling like blood around his collar and large shoulders.  
  
The room faded to black, eyelids draping heavily as his heartbeat and breathing both slowed to a deep crawl.  
  
\--  
  
Fire. Fire and bloodshed.   
  
There was none of it here. Not in the afterlife. He could only use his bare hands, tearing lost souls into fading pieces as he forced himself through the crowd of sobbing sadists. They cried all around him, voices echoing painfully within his skull. He shoved them aside, panicked now. He needed to see him, he had to be okay --  
  
There he was. He hung from his arms, head bowed and golden hair darkened to a dirty brown. Ancient sigils were etched into his flesh, branding and torturing him. He must've been here for years. Centuries. Eons. This is what became of his brother. This was Kurai.  
  
Kal drew close, arm outstretched. Reaching, reaching. Unfurled fingers, unscathed. Just an inch more, and he'd be touching his cheek --  
  
YOU LEFT ME! The words travel hauntingly through Kal's skull, and he collapses, his brother's voice scathing and hateful and real. YOU SAID YOU'D COME BACK FOR ME!  
  
He writhed in his sleep, jaw clenched and spine contorting. Dawn was still an hour away.  
  
"I didn't!" The words flew from his lips as he bolted awake, nearly falling from the bed. He'd moved /that/ much. Sweat slicked his painted torso, chest heaving for air and blood pounding in his ears.   
  
The night terrors had found him again.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aerilaya is owned by me and Kal is owned by Dan.~


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaliel and Aerilaya prepare for their long journey...

Evening faded into dawn in Valinor, as a blanket of stars melted into rich copper that bled into the horizon. Peaking just behind the vast mountain ranges that cocooned the grand city, the most delicate rays of sunlight began to filter in between the rocky slopes. The realm would once again reawaken from their slumber, bright eyed and eager as night violently shifted to day.   
  
The pride of all Elves stood towering in the center of the city, surrounded by thick alabaster walls decorated in vines made of mithril. Once upon a time this lavish castle was teeming with life, as it was once home to all the Ainur who came to Ea. It was here that Manwe had ruled upon a golden throne, surrounded by the most powerful Valar and the greatest elven heroes. After he and the other Valar left for their own realms, the once radiant castle became devoid of life. The only ones who remained within its stone walls are that of Aerilaya and a few maids. Though the Queen remained here, she never ventured into the wing that belonged to her siblings for fear loneliness overtake her.   
  
She had always been a lonely soul; a pure light, adrift in a world plagued by corruption. When her brothers and sisters left, she felt as though she had lost her purpose. Where once childish glee and confidence filled her heart, now only sorrow remain. So lost in despair was she that before the vision of Iluvatar, the maiden teetered on the brink of fading completely. If her father had not once again given her a purpose, she would have surely melted into the shadows long ago.  
  
From a balcony embedded atop the highest tower the Vala now stood, watching as azure melted into lush carmine. She had changed out of her previous attire, having now slipped into a translucent gown of pale lavender. Star-cut diamonds framed the neckline of the dress, which dove down to partially reveal her generous breasts. The whimsy fabric clung to her pale flesh, framing the thick curves on her lush body. A silvery crown of vines nestle atop Aerilaya’s ivory curls, the starlit strands streaming down her shoulders to rest just above her tailbone.   
  
While Kaliel rested within her room, the Queen took the time to review some recently made maps of Middle-earth. They would start their voyage abroad her fastest ship, to which they would eventually make port at the Gray Havens. She would have to take precautions to seem less… like a Valar when she entered that place. It was not that she worried about what her people would do, rather she dare not let those wishing to cause Valinor harm know that she is away.   
  
One of Aerilaya’s slender digits thoughtfully traced the map that was placed before her on the railing, planning where they should go next on their journey to Mordor. The Shire seemed like the most rational town to restock on their provisions before heading out once again. She knew little of the race that lived there, Hobbits having only recently come into existence. Over a cask of elvish wine with Gandalf however, she has come to know them as a very obscure people. Distrustful of others yet kind and brave when called upon. Gandalf seemed fond of the creatures and spoke highly of them, and that was enough for her.  
  
A high-pitched yell erupted from the chamber behind her, shaking Aerilaya out of her thoughts. Turning her magenta gaze upon the doorway leading to her rooms, a small frown lined her features. Before she could think better of it, she glided forth and abruptly entered her chambers. A wave of heat spread across the Vala’s cheekbones as her eyes met with his own wild, sunlit discs. She hesitated briefly before striding over towards the male, lavender fabric fluttering in her wake. Aerilaya pushed away the flash of warmth that roused upon noticing Kaliel’s disheveled appearance. She could not help but wet her lips as she noticed the sweat that beaded his broad chest, or the way it trickled down his rigid muscles.   
  
The maiden slid down onto the mattress beside him whilst grabbing a handkerchief that lie on the nearby nightstand. With a trembling hand she reached forth to gently dab it against his fevered crown, concern etched into her celestial features.   
  
“Nightmares plague my mind as well,” she softly whispered. “Each is filled with a ravenous darkness that devours me in the end. I may not sleep very often… but whenever I close my eyes, I can see its maw stretching wide in the hopes to devour me.”  
  
Aerilaya shuddered against the memory of torn flesh, hot blood and chilling screams. Whenever she awoke, she could still feel its sharp teeth digging into her skin.   
  


* * *

  
At first, her presence didn't seem to be acknowledged whatsoever. Golden optics remained clouded and unfocused, staring down a point in space that didn't truly exist. Her delicate trill tickled his eardrums, but his taut facets didn't twitch.   
  
The seconds grew longer. The scene played out over and over again in his mind, playing his brother's line on repeat. Haunting. A great guilt washed over him, and his powerful musculature actually t r e m b l e d for a moment beneath the weight of his abandoned responsibilities.  
  
The bob of his adam's apple in his throat reassured her life still coursed through his bloated veins, until the facade well and truly came to its end.   
  
Tipped over by what could've been the most imperceptible of breezes, several hundred pounds of muscle and bone slowly collapsed into the Valar's arms. Not a thought was given to her social status, nor the norms that ought to have kept him far from her most solitary quarters. Instead, a masculine cheek fit hotly against her bare sternum, showering her forefront in tangled threads of crimson silk that innocently tickled wherever Aerilaya's dress neglected most.  
  
His weight threatened to flatten her; thankfully his heavy lean didn't free him entirely from the sheets that lay crumpled about his seated hips, so only his torso weighed on the Valar's delicate frame.  
  
A painted arm slowly snaked around her midsection, as though comforting himself with the knowledge that she truly /was/ there. After images like he'd just witnessed, there was no reason to truly believe what lay before his eyes. His mind would do anything to pain him.  
  
Hesitant lips moved for the first time since he'd awoken, casting warm breath against her chest that flushed the pale skin almost immediately.  
  
"It's funny," he began, eyelids heavy. A hot hand smoothed up the curve of her spine, fighting the path of the shiver. "I can't feel the Darkness, so long as I hold onto this Light .."   
  


* * *

  
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, dawn had risen and aggressively collided with vibrant azure. Violet streaked against the sky in retaliation whilst turquoise joined the fray. Beams of sunlight filtered through the thin glass panes opposite of the lavish bed two figures sat upon, casting the luxurious inner furnishings aglow.   
  
For but a moment, magenta met with the dreamy haze of amber. As soon as their eyes met, an unknown heat spread across Aerilaya’s heaving chest. All past thoughts regarding her own cursed nightmares fluttered back into memory, as if they were merely delicately winged creatures all along. Her lush lips parted in attempt to say something, but they closed as she noticed the undeniable sorrow reflected in his glazed optics. A sorrow in which she has long known.  
  
. The Vala let out a squeak in surprise as the hulking male collapsed onto her, crushing her petite form against his. Something inside Aerilaya fumed at this practically unknown man’s bold display upon her celestial being. Yet she also harboured a great sympathy for him, for this elven goddess was no stranger to hardship. Despite her almost fragile looking frame, she knew she could easily remove him by calling upon her powers.   
  
However Aerilaya felt content within Kaliel’s tender embrace. She could not deny that she relished the sensation of his taut muscles against her soft flesh, or how the stranger seemed to calm the abyssal storm writhing within. Kaliel’s overwhelming heat easily entwined with her cool skin, bringing a flush to her milky palette. Such fever also pooled between her thighs to the Vala’s utter surprise, causing a striking blush to fly across her defined cheeks and pointy ears.   
  
Just as she thought she was successfully ignoring the alien sensation, calloused fingertips brushed the tender path of her spine. Aerilaya stubbornly bit back a whimper, yet trembled beneath his exploring fingers all the same. It had been so long since anyone dared to touch her this way, for none were ever truly worthy to caress such purity. The light emitting from within the maiden’s exotic silhouette intensified under Kaliel’s tanned flesh, as if her own power was betraying her hearts desires.   
  
Hesitantly, the Queen reached out to lace her slender digits with the stream of crimson draped atop her quivering legs. Despite obviously being unwashed for a bit, she was shocked to find the carmine strands smooth and silken.  
  
Masculine vocals laced in weariness roused Aerilaya from her musings, elf-ears catching Kaliel’s gentle murmurs. A hollow ache ran through her chest upon hearing his words.   
  
“Ah, Caranor.” She whispered sweetly to him, “Ni too, sinte i móre's úsahtie.” Aerilaya allowed the light to dance underneath her skin again, its power coursing through her veins with intention. She leaned down silently, ivory strands sliding over the slender curve of her neck. For but a moment she brushed her full lips against Kaliel’s heated brow, a flicker of angelic light passing from her lips and into him. Her lips parted against his heat, a string of enchanted Quenya leaving them.   
  
“Lótesse your naicele n- lessened yare -esse mime kal.”  
  
When finished, she suddenly straightened and hardened her features into an unreadable expression. “We must depart Aman as soon as you are ready. After you bathe and dress, I shall escort you to the royal armory before we journey to the ship.” Despite her chilly demeanor, there was an undeniable heat laced within the Vala’s melodious tone. It unnerved her how easily this mysterious man seemed to feed the hungry light inside her. The simplest caress causing her power to intensify and the darkness within to abate.   
  
[Caranor : “Red Fire”]  
[Ni too, sinte i móre's úsahtie : “I too, know the dark’s seductive whispers.]  
[Lótesse your naicele n- lessened yare -esse mime kal : “May your darkness lessen while you remain in my light.”]  
  


* * *

  
An elven tongue, no doubt. No matter how many languages he'd collected over the years within his own realm, not one of them aided him now. All the same, he knew when she had found a name for him; Caranor struck a chord far deeper than the slumped male  was ready to admit. It was almost enough for him to question his own origins.   
  
Almost, but not quite. A sobering kiss to the temple breathed new life into his lungs, every fiber tingling with newfound energy where before it'd laid dormant. A healthy sheen rose to the surface of his skin, leaving him livelier. Whatever the spell, he was walking on cloud nine for the briefest of moments, until everything returned to perspective and greedy mitts unhanded the Queen.    
  
It was a blessing she liked him so.   
  
Reluctantly peeling away, Kal moved to get out of bed, pausing only after he'd slipped a sturdy thigh free and over the side. Self-awareness set in; not a shred of cotton clung to him. Nor had a servant girl or anything of the sort come in to lead him to the presumed bathhouse he could only imagine was massive and luxurious beyond compare. Not that one could -- to see Aerilaya in such close proximity with an outlander would be a rumor run rampant, blown to inconceivable proportions.   
  
But logic rarely defeated raw impulse within the first flame; if he were to prepare, there was no time to lose. Nor did he feel the mortal plight of shame; not when his list of imperfections was only as long as his list of scars.   
  
Sliding from the bedsheets onto bare feet, the bold flame cast his eyes about the room, finding doors on either side.   
  
"Are we to keep my presence secret, then?" Deft hands gathered his only loosely tangled mane behind broad shoulders. A playful look was tossed over his painted shoulder, though he suspected her eyes might've long averted, or her presence remain only fleeting.   
  
"In either case, I trust clothes will be waiting for me when I return." Spotting a neatly folded towel, he snatched it up, nonchalantly wrapping the decidedly feminine fabric around pointedly masculine hips.    
  
The last word of hers suddenly sank in, and fierce brows furrowed, ripe with dismay.    
  
"Did you say 'ship'-- ?"   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sincerest apologies for the delayed update! I wanted to finish part 1 officially with Dan before I posted. Anywho its now done, and we shall be starting on part 2! Which will feature them entering the Grey Havens and FINALLY starting on their journey across Middle-earth. There is still so much more to come~
> 
> Aerilaya's perspective is written by me, and Kal's is written by Dan.


	4. Chapter 4

She did not realize how truly warm Kaliel was until he hesitantly moved away from her. She shivered in the wake of his departure, luminous flesh regaining its chilly feel. She stilled suddenly against the milky white sheets, plum optics resting on the indent he left behind. A strange sort of sadness flickered across her divine features in that moment, as her lithe fingertips caressed the silky fabric. A sharp ache entered her chest as her thoughts wandered to the last man who was in her bed, nearly four thousand years ago...  
  
Aerilaya inwardly cringed at the memory and hastily pushed it to the back of her mind. She raised her chin to cast her magenta gaze on Kaliel, only the smallest sliver of sorrow remaining in their depths.   
  
She was just about to urge him to take a bath when suddenly he arose from the luxurious bed; causing the maiden to gasp aloud in shock. He was stark naked! This is indeed bold considering they hardly knew each other. After all, sex and nudity was considered sacred to the Elves. It was practically unheard of for an elf to be seen waltzing around in nothing but his birthday suit.  
  
Her hands immediately flew to cover her mouth whilst her eyes widened with surprise. Aerilaya could practically ear her sisters voice chiding her, for she did not look away despite her common sense telling her to do so. Curiosity seemed to drive her as she examined him, his deep vocals sliding dreamily across her skin. She was too busy studying him to listen to what he was saying; so entranced was she.   
  
She could not help but admire just how perfect his exotic body seemed. Her sight brushed across the smooth expanse of his sun-kissed skin, admiring the way his strange tattoos contrasted. Hard pectoral muscles were sculpted into his abdomen, giving way to a pair of lean hips.   
  
There was not even the smallest amount of hair on his frame to her amusement. She had heard of mortal men often being very hairy, yet it was a pleasant surprise to find him without. She bit her bottom lip and suddenly averted her gaze when it flickered across the impressive specimen between his tanned thighs. A bolt of heat pooled in her belly at the sight, causing her pale cheeks to grow red.   
  
She stole another glance when he had his broad back turned, allowing her to admire his almost godly ass. Aerilaya smiled mischievously from the view before once again focusing her line of sight elsewhere.   
  
"Yes, it would be best if none knew that you are here.." The Vala trailed off while partially being in the process of regaining her composure. Of course it didn't work, as flustered as she was.  
  
"The fresher is just beyond the door on the left. You may bathe in there. Ever since Gimli introduced plumbing into our city, we have no use for heating buckets anymore. Simply turn the nobs if you wish for cold or hot water." Before the rather foul-mouthed Dwarf, Valinor had never heard of plumbing. It would seem the Dwarves are capable of more than just digging holes.  
  
Once he disappeared around the corner, Aerilaya took up the task of conjuring up some clothes for him. It proved to be a more difficult task than she anticipated, as her thoughts were elsewhere. After a few minutes of calming herself down, she stretched out her hand and tried again. A iridescent light swirled around her arm like an ivory tattoo before reaching her fingertip and casting a glow upon the bedtable beside her. In a flash of light, a set of elvish clothing appeared on the oaken table.   
  
The pile contained a pair of ashen trousers and simple ebony tunic, accompanied by a light robe. The jacket was a rich maroon that stretched past ones feet with two long slits on either side of where the legs would be. Mithril leaves with small diamonds adorned the sleeves and trailed across the neckline, giving the outfit a more formal feel. On top of the clothes is a circlet made of pure mithril with a snowdrop shaped diamond in the middle, while a pair of abyssal slippers equally decorated in diamonds lay beside the bedtable.   
  
Aerilaya nervously picked at her nails while she wait for him, feminine curves still planted on the bed.   
  
"I'm afraid the darkness that dwells within Mordor has altered my light abilities. I am unable to teleport anywhere, and therefore we must take a more traditional mode of transit. My ship shall take us to the barrier and beyond, where we will eventually make port in the Grey Havens before truly beginning our journey."   


* * *

  
Stuck between a rock and an even harder place. Kal was infamous for his hatred of being teleported; the weightlessness and the helplessness of being moved through space and time by another's magic never sat well with him. But the prospect of being at s ea for an undetermined amount of time was no more positive a thought.  
  
He'd traveled far and wide, but only crossed the sea when it was needed. The usually oh-so-tough fiend hadn't the heart to ask how long this ride would take. Instead, he made his way through the left-hand archway, disappearing from sight with a floral towel wrapped about his thighs.  
  
Now t h i s was the kind of water Kal could handle. By the time the in-ground bath was filled just short of brimming, the room had acquired a thick blanket of steam, dousing his musculature in droplets of hydration before he took a single step into the tub.  
  
Towel discarded, Kal helped himself to the luxuries afforded him, returning through the archway some minutes later with the loud slap of wet feet heralding his return. He was still securing the flowery design around wet hips when he rounded the corner, crimson mane a bedraggled eruption of maroon that near enough reached the hem of his towel.   
  
Spotting the elven royalty still perched in wait, he paused briefly, misunderstanding the reason which she'd chosen to wait in bed. Plopped upon plump thighs with cleavage nearly falling out of her translucent robes, the elf was a delicious sight to behold, and it sank in even deeper now that his blood pumped hotter than it already preferred to maintain.  
  
Parting bronzed lips to speak, vermilion brows narrowing at the unspoken challenge he perceived, the fiendish flame undid his towel, letting it droop slyly until it hung from his obviously engorged virility. Only /then/ did he catch the elven clothes piled in the corner of his eye, subtly stacked by the headboard.  
  
Her expression told him everything he needed to know. The apple in his throat bobbed once, as if counting his mistake, and he hurriedly began to dry himself, padding over to the pile. In doing so, he only exposed himself further, but at least he seemed to occupy himself, soon lifting the tunic for a brief, but oddly analytical inspection.  
  
Anything to avoid his fumble. "Black, eh? I suppose it goes with everything.."   


* * *

  
  
As usual the dreamy-eyed Vala was deeply engrossed in her own thoughts while Kaliel bathed in luxury. She was utterly perplexed with the sudden events that took place within her dwelling and how she dealt with it all. It would that the amber eyed man s tirred something within her bones; something long lost. Even his slightest gestures and subtle advances seemed to turn this steely Aratar into nothing more than a blushing maid! It was beyond frustrating. For all her light and grace, she was not the Queen she was meant to be while he remained in her world. He may be deemed a weakness for her mentality, but he also seemed to make the sorrowful ache in her chest recede greatly. Perhaps that was the most startling fact of all.   
  
Aerilaya suddenly jerked upright; elven ears catching the sound of wet feet slapping upon marbled stone. All former thoughts and worries seemed to melt away in an instant upon knowing just who would enter this room. Her curious magenta gaze snapped to the white pillared entrance, only to widen at the view before her.  
  
Kal's near godly physique stood out against the alabaster walls, strands of damp ruby framing his chiseled features. Water droplets illuminated by the sun's rays slid leisurely over his toned skin, trailing down across his hard abdominal muscles before disappearing into the floral towel tied around his waist.  
  
The maiden trembled slightly whilst she sit before this man--not out of fear but anticipation. She suddenly wished it were her tongue that was tracing his sculpted muscles and not the beaded moisture.  
  
Aerilaya bit her bottom lip when he seemed to suddenly shift while undoing his towel, letting it droop just enough for her to see the evident arousal that pressed against the cloth.  
  
He seemed just as shocked as she, though his eyes held a dark hunger, as if he desired nothing more than to devour her right then and there. The Vala almost wished he would.  
A crackle of tension lit the air like a bolt of lightning as her wide plum disks met with his smoldering gaze. Her petite frame was completely still, as if in wait for him to make the first move.  
  
However before anyone could act on their primal instincts, Kaliel seemed to get ahold of himself. She watched as he approached the side table in which held his attire, dropping the towel completely to dry himself off.  
  
This time Aerilaya's gaze did not linger. She immiedetly looked away from his exposed body, if only to hide the reddish blush that rapidly spread across her cheekbones. Hesitantly, she lifted herself from the mattress and padded bare-foot towards the sitting room entrance.  
  
"Black and silver... It is my wish to make you appear as elven as possible. It may help if you hide your ears behind your hair." A hint of amusement lifted her musical tone, purpleish optics sparkling against the pale shimmer of sunlight.  
  
She glanced over her shoulder before adding, "if you want, I can braid your hair in a traditional elven plait while we're on the ship. I have been told that my hands are very.." She trailed off," skilled." The Vala added mischievously.  
  
With the elegant sway of her lush hips and trailing carmine gown, she disappeared into the sitting room to await her newfound champion.   


* * *

  
Running the length of the floral towel back and forth over every available expanse of visible muscle, he turned half-towards her when she chose to speak again, blatantly lowering his towel once he'd realized she was still looking. As such, focusing on her words was difficult, and he was still thinking about the comment about his ears when she made her suggestive departure. Though his lips parted, always eager to utter a clever retort, her hourglass shape had long turned the corner by the time the right words came to his suddenly sheepish tongue.   
  
It was an odd feeling, to actually feel the anticipation rise in his stomach. The last time he felt such a way about a woman was more than a few decades prior; it was a peculiar sensation he'd almost forgotten, and one that made him scrub himself dry more thoroughly, eager to snap out of it.   
  
Such a pretty face. It was a shame it was all the way out here, wherever /here/ was. Were he given another chance like the moment only minutes before, he might've --   
  
No; he'd never fit into these clothes if he was thinking about the things he'd have done to those lips. Forcing himself to calm down, he carefully stepped into the garments she'd assembled, making slightly disgusted faces at the little circlet she'd picked out for him. Did he truly have to..?   
  
Diligently drawing his vermilion locks forward enough to cover all but the lower lobes of his ears, he took a moment to gaze upon his strapping reflection in a glassy gem-encrusted mirror. He certainly filled it out well enough; standing nearly six and a half feet tall and built out of a broad chest, wide shoulders, and a tapered waist, it was a tall order to fill for elven clothes. Most were leaner than he. Thus, the tunic confirmed more tightly to his shape, and the maroon robe to his shoulders.   
  
Biting back his pride, he placed the diamond circlet upon his crimson crown and slipped large feet within soft slippers nearly incapable of containing his heel. If he were to play the part - a part he now supposed has that of some noble elf - he had to look it.   
  
Now that he thought about it; hadn't she mentioned something about an armory? More enthusiastic footsteps hailed his entrance into the sitting room, red robes drifting ever so slightly with his stride.   
  
Hair pushed back more nobly than she was used to, more of his handsome complexion now rose prominent; his fetching jawline, and subtle, fearless cheekbones that still carried with him the most salient feature of all: that damned scar across the bridge of his amiable nose. It almost distracted from his curiously golden hues that feasted on the Queen with a knowing look, despite the fact they'd likely have little luck remaining entirely secretive before setting sail for Gray Haven.   
  
Even more curious than the whereabouts of Gray Haven was the promise of skilled hands. It was hard to even look at the Vala without sinking pale enamels into his lower lip.   
  
"I'm not wearing this for much longer," he warned her with a small smile, already tired of the strange silks that restrained him. He almost looked forward to getting on that accursed boat. Almost.   


* * *

  
A figure adorned in lush curves leaned silently against the marbled pillars that led into the hallway. She shivered against the cold stone that brushed her exposed back, though somehow comforted by the fact she was not the only cold thing in this room.   
  
"You are like the starlight, so cool and pristine; so distant yet divine." A voice whispered seductively into her mind. Aerilaya felt a tremor pass through her upon hearing the voice, one that she knew so well.  
  
"So pure... so uncorrupted; filled with such innocence. Like that of a white dove." The voice's ghostly fingertips traced the curve of the Vala's spine lovingly, and she trembled from the flare of desire it sparked. She could feel those phantom hands glide like the slightest breeze over her shoulders, until finally resting over her neck. Her eyes widened fearfully as bony skeleton fingers tightened around her throat.  
  
"Yet you are more like me than you know. I can feel the hunger within you," Aerilaya had to resist the urge to vomit as familiar lips brushed against hers, "one day it will either devour you... or I will."  
  
With those final words, the voice seemed to fade into shadow. Aerilaya's delicate fingers rushed to feel her throat as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart hammered loudly within her chest as icy fear coursed through her veins. For what seemed like a century, she stood there in the shadow of the sitting room doorway. Magenta orbs fell beneath long lashes as she closed her eyes and attempted to expel the fear and panic that ran through her. Only when she finally calmed down did she think back to what just happened.  
  
"A vision.. it is the only explanation." The maiden whispered to herself as her eyes fluttered open. "If he were truly here, I would have felt it..." Somehow she didn't believe that was entirely true.  
  
Aerilaya resumed her former regal posture and emotionless expression upon hearing footsteps near the corner. Kaliel's kind yet handsome face appeared in the chamber with features slightly askew with annoyance. She could not help but giggle in response, for he was clearly not enjoying his current attire. The Vala felt her dark heart warm as he approached her, his presence soothing the turmoil a vision had wrought. A genuine smile slid across her divine lips whilst she leaned forth to suddenly wrap her soft fingers with his calloused ones.  
  
"Worry not, we shall be leaving later this morning. Once we set sail, you may change into whatever you wish." Her laughter chimed softly as she tugged him along, guiding him through the pillared entryway. They entered the gilded corridor upon Aerilaya's insistence. Lavish violet carpets decorated in vines spread across marble floor here, whilst various paintings lined the walls. A frame of golden vines surrounded each painting, each glinting in the pale sunlight that filtered in through the open ceiling.  
Aerilaya fell into a speedy pace as they made their way through the ivory and gold corridor. Her gaze never wandered to the artwork that surround them, knowing she'd only find memory and loss there. Many were of her brothers and sisters, while others were of herself. Each piece told a different story about a Vala. Some were riddled with betrayal and anger, while some bore tales of wisdom and bravery.  
  
Only when they neared an imposing set of birch doors did the maiden release Kaliel's hand. Her fingertips traced the mithril vines and leaves that were sculpted elaborately into the smooth wood before she pushed the massive doors open.  
  
A gigantic chamber filled to the brim with ancient artifacts of every race born in Arda was revealed. Rows upon rows of weapon racks and armored mannequins ran throughout the room like a maze of sharp points and steel. Each section contained a different item, whether it be shield, dagger or armor. Some were gifts from kings long dead, some stolen from old foes and others as rewards from a successful conquest. Mithril, gold and iron sparkled radiantly from the sunlight that streamed down from the open roof. Grand trees grew on the exterior of the spacious armory with canopies of burnt orange and sunset red that spread across the opening. Their leaves danced in the breeze that whisked around the chamber before settling onto the cold stone. There were no windows lining the armory, but rather thick alabaster pillars that held up a stone ring that circled above.  
  
Aerilaya elegantly glided down the steps leading to the center of the armory, robes of translucent crimson trailing behind in her wake. A table of golden vines and smooth birch stood in the middle. Three carefully chosen weapons were laid out upon the wood, slightly shimmering in the glow of the sun.  
  
Excitement lit up her plum eyes and the Vala gestured the table before her. "These are the weapons I have chosen for you. I did not think relics of wars past fought would suit a man such as you, and therefore asked my brother to forge new ones for you."  
  
To the right lay a one-handed longsword with a matching shortsword at its side. Liquid silver cords displayed in an elaborate fashion connected the hilt to the blades. Embedded on either side of the cords were two massive diamonds that gleamed with enchantment. Adjoined to the metallic hilts were large sapphires that shone from the pommel. Etched into the surface of each blade were words written in Quenya, a long forgotten tongue. Aerilaya's hand brushed against the cold metal of the longsword, casting the words alight with her touch.  
  
"Each of these swords are made from pure mithril, the strongest and most valuable ore in my world. None may break these blades. My brother Aule also placed two enchantments upon them, with the elven script and gemstones. The diamonds make it so they are light like air, while also freezing those of whom bear ill intent towards you. When darkness lurks, the inscription will glow bright aqua to warn you of danger. A very useful tool to have indeed."  
Next Aerilaya gestured the seemingly ordinary wooden bow that was set beside the richly adorned blades. To anyone, it would simply look like stick with a string stuck through it.  
  
"While unassuming, this shortbow harbours a great power. Should you touch it, your abilities will meld into the very marrow of this bow, transforming it into a raging beast of fury and fire. None could survive a flaming arrow from this weapon. Not only this, but it was also forged to enhance your own powers as well. You would truly wield heat and flame like that of a Balrog."  
  
When finished she stepped away to let him look over the weapons she laid out for him. Aerilaya's enticing body slid over to gaze at a pair of patching daggers on a nearby rack. Though she could not help but watch Kaliel's masculine form out of the corner of her eye.   


* * *

  
"I can't wait."  
  
Sarcasm dripped from his every word of feigned enthusiasm, at the very prospect of boarding the boat sooner rather than later. Not that he was given much chance to mope; snatched by the mitt, he found himself half-dragged down the hall in the wake of excited feet and translucent folds that drifted far enough behind her to tickle his shins.  
  
Though he was the one with no connection to the many paintings that lined the hall, only he let his eyes wander, surprisingly enough. The Vala seemed content to keep her eyes at her feet, but Kal felt nothing compelling him to do the same. And so he admired the ancient artistry, though its greater meanings remained beyond his superficial grasp. Mindless of the characters involved, he could only marvel at the intricacy of the craftsmanship, and just how well they'd captured Aerilaya's mystique with paint and chisel. She looked no older now than she was depicted on the walls, but something told him these decorations were far older than he suspected.  
  
Her hand was /so/ soft, like a newborn's; the absence of wear, wrinkle, and scar diametrically opposed to his large, comparatively brutish hands. Ridges underlined his tanned digits, creasing the underbellies where once a blade's edge sank to the bone. Yet despite all his strength, he clutched onto her fragile hand with a mindfulness unexpected. And he couldn't help but miss her dainty touch once his empty hand fell back by his side.  
  
The armory was nothing less of extravagant. Less a room; more an arena. Curiosity cured his loneliness; dandelion optics aglow with interest, the slipper-clad flame strode forward immediately, letting outstretched fingerpads brush everything he could outside of the Queen's view. Admiration seethed in his scarred complexion, taking a decade off his physical age for a moment as youthful mirth curled his lips.   
  
"Good. I'm already the relic. I need not remind myself of my age with my weapons."  
  
Hesitation was rarely Kal's forté. Snatching up the shortsword, the feni gave it a small twirl, measuring the spread of weight in his hand. The ornate hilt and pommel was jarring; they were the largest diamonds Kal had ever seen. Just one half the size could buy out the King's guard in most capitals and seize control of an empire. And each of the blades held two ..  
  
"No expenses spared, mm?" Next, he tested the balance of the longer blade; a weapon more his style. With height and wingspan such as his, it seemed a shame not to abuse it via a large weapon. It fit into his palm like it were made to, though the presence of an ice enchantment admittedly brought some distaste to smiling lips.  
  
"They're excellently crafted," he began, placing the longsword back onto the table before letting his eyes drift to the third weapon at his disposal. He almost scoffed. "Wait, that?-- you can't be serious."  
  
It looked like a hunting bow meant for an adolescent. Hooking his hand around the grip, he lifted the bow airborne, stiffening as flames suddenly burst from his palm, engulfing the woodwork from top to bottom and dancing down the string. The flames seemed to carve their own insignia into the inside of the bow shaft, while the weapon itself crackled with newfound life. The flashfire extended back to his wrist, engulfing it harmlessly in a display of ferocity.  
  
Biting back his words that would've shamed archery as an overall practice, Kal slung the bow over his shoulder, seemingly convinced.   
  
"You need not concern yourself with fighting, lady of Valinor."  
  
Steel couldn't steal his attention from her forever. Not even mithril. A few steps closed the distance again, eyes following the path hers traveled to settle on the very same daggers. Suitable for the feni? Perhaps not. But neither were they made for a Queen.  
  
"I'll do the killing; and I won't let anything happen to you. My word is yours." A dip of the head.  
  
Oh, if only he knew who he was talking to.   


* * *

  
Dappled leaves of burnt orange and crimson fluttered across the marble flooring of the armory, like butterflies twirling through the air. Pale beams of light drifted in from the canopy overtop the building, allowing the various weapons in which surrounded them to glimmer in polished radiance. Such rays also slid across Aerilaya's divine form of exotic curves, exposing the flesh beneath her translucent attire all the more. If another set eyes upon her, they would see a delicate goddess bathed in her own celestial light.  
  
Aerilaya never took her magenta gaze off of Kaliel's toned, if not striking form. She could not help but smile slightly as he attuned himself with the bow she made for him. Such a weapon has never been seen before in all of Arda, and she was almost relieved so see he enjoyed it so.  
  
A delightful shiver passed through her spine upon hearing the heavy footsteps of the immortal's approach. She almost wished he would linger closer, so that his tanned flesh may brush against her own. She dreamily wondered what it would feel like to have his calloused hands trace every curve she bear, or how his lips would feel her neck, her breast and her--oh.  
  
The sudden warmth that spread across her back alerted Aerilaya to his presence. Her breath hitched and eartips flushed upon realizing how close she was to fantasizing about Kaliel. The idea of having his tainted hands upon her pure form should have disgusted her. Instead, it shot a bolt of arousal to the apex of her thighs.  
  
All such thoughts quickly faded as soon as he opened his mouth. Aerilaya had always been able to fight for herself, so the idea of another trying to protect her felt foreign, if not a bit enraging.  
  
"Do you think I am a frail thing, ser?" She turned to the male behind her, disks of plum narrowing against flushed features. "I can assure you, I am more powerful than I may appear."  
Aerilaya's inner darkness seethed silently for being seen as weak. So much so, that it threatened to boil over. She had to take a moment to calm herself down, and remember that he did not know her. Had the darkness taken control, he would be nothing but a mass of limbs on the floor. That thought alone scared her enough to regain her self-control.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. I know you say this because you are worried for my safety. However I am an Aratar, one of the most powerful Valar to exist in Ea. There is much more to me than meets the eye." She spoke cryptically, sorrow once again clouding her soft features.  
  
Lush hips swayed as the QUeen left Kaliel to gaze at the rack in which held bows of various sizes. She absently brushed her fingertips over the intricate mithril designs of a silver one. A traditional elvish insignia of vines caressed the metallic exterior of the bow, winding down to a handle in the middle made of white birch. Crimson rubies sparkled from their scattered positions along the vines, like small stars or flowers.  
  
Aerilaya wrapped her small hands around it before testing its weight. A comfortable familiarity fell upon her whilst holding the beautifully carved longbow. Being centuries old, she knew all forms of combat and was masterful in wielding all manner of weapon. However she has always favored the longbow and was renowned for being quite deadly with it. For close combat, she usually wielded two short swords with experienced precision.  
  
She turned back to Kaliel and gave him a small smile. Her heart picked up speed as their eyes connected. Something so simple caused that inner fire to renew and pale skin tingle. Aerilaya shuddered against the sensation that filled her so, one in which was caused merely by gazing into Kaliel's haze of sunlight disks.  
  
"We'll leave whenever you're ready.." The Vala murmured, embarrassed by all these confusing sensations that coursed through her.  
  
Only one person had ever made her feel this way before, and he did nothing but cause misery and ruin throughout her life. She prayed to Iluvatar that she would not repeat past mistakes, and that their journey would prove to be... uneventful.   


* * *

  
If only the daydreaming elf realized just how his vision bore into her back, altogether ignoring the translucent dress. On either side of her tailbone, subtle dimples lured fiesty eyes, making for all too easy a southern transition to the curves of her visible rump. Sunlight exposed her in all her brilliance, nearly melting the silks from her supple body; fooling the eye into believing, if only for a moment, that she stood before him in all her naked glory.  
  
He would've loved to have held her, then, but he could think of no excuse nor sly dig that could earn him that privilege. Incapable of glimpsing the contents of the Vala's sexually troubled mind, he cluelessly fawned just as she, oblivious to their mirroring thoughts.   
  
With great effort, he peeled his eyes from her bust as she began to berate him, standing in the sunlight as she did with buds practically poking holes through her nearly invisible robes.  
  
But before he could muster the correct words to explain himself, bemused by the combination of view and unexpected accusation, the Vala did his work for him, and he swallowed, unnerved for the first time since the two had met.  
  
"You'll have a lot to explain on the ship," he decided finally, after being assaulted by terms like Aratar, Valar, and Ea. It was rather difficult to keep up with the influx of information that swarmed him in her company,  
  
but it was worth it if he got to watch her walk away like that.  
  
It had to have been thanks to her proper upbringing and noble status; the way one hip dipped as the other lead the way into the next step was a deadly recipe that made the feni's tight pants feel all the tighter.  
  
"Are you a good marksman?" he asked, noting suddenly his own inexperience with a bow. Not that he dared share it with the Queen of Valinor after she'd gifted him such an impressive shortbow of his own. He'd have to learn on his own time, in secrecy, or risk embarrassing the both of them in a time of great need. "I suppose archery must be something you grew up with."  
  
Such a modest moment of eye contact seemed to positively pluck the Vala's heartstrings, and such mannerisms could not go unnoticed no matter how boneheaded Kal often seemed. Though she remained a symbol of innocence and great chastity, to others if not herself, it was a thin guise that the feni was able see through. But perhaps there's an advantage when you're the cause of the breaks in character.  
  
"How many are coming with us?" he inquired, running his hand over the handle of another longbow he knew he'd never use. Emeralds decorated it in surplus, feeling very foresty where it lay embedded in enchanted mahogany. "Crew, I mean."  
  
The feni quite expected an army, or at least a team. Her answer would stagger him, but perhaps for the better. Less was always more for the man of red. And though he dreaded the long nights at sea, for some reason he relished the thought of spending so much time in her exclusive company. And, perhaps for the first time in his long, long, life, his slippers were i t c h i n g to climb aboard.  
  
"One last thing." The swords are already packed in adorned sheaths and tucked under one arm. A quiver is slung haphazardly over his shoulder, along with the shortbow required.   
  
"We're going to need something to keep ourselves intact.."  
  
Dandelion eyes drift towards the attractive bodies of armor fitted to mannequins across the chamber.   


* * *

  
Aerilaya gave into a slight shiver upon the memory of just who had taught her archery after hearing Kaliel's inquiry. It was during the first few thousand years of Ea's creation, when it was a place where time did not exist and war raged throughout all of Arda. She was much more naive to the ways of life than she was now, for she had fallen for her brother, Morgoth. He was the very definition of all that is dark and evil and he used her love, her body and her soul for his own gain. The Vala had twisted who she was, who she aspired to be; to the point that she become nothing but what he made her to be.  
  
The Queen took his side against her own brothers and sisters, whom she dearly loved. She stubbornly refused to see past Morgoth's facade, unlike that of the Aratar. It was her brother who taught her to fight, and how to wield a bow. It was him who filled her with such delicious corruption. However his true nature came to light the day she used such skills. Upon a battlefield blanketed with the cold bodies of her kin, with blood on her hands and agonizing screams surrounding her.  
  
"It's a long story.." Aerilaya whispered into the silence as she returned from reverie.  
The luminescent glow in which bloomed from her flesh darkened slightly, as if the mere memories of her past cast a shade over her light. She was different, she reminded herself. Yet the Vala knew that the corruption Morgoth bestowed upon her was merely buried, not vanquished.  
  
"I cannot risk the lives of my people on this journey, therefore we shall go alone. I know not what we will find Caranor, yet I know by Iluvatar's grace we will succeed." A small smile lit up her features, though sorrow still clouded her gaze.  
  
Disks of magenta fell upon the set of armor in which the man ogled from afar. A pang entered her chest as she saw that it was Manwe's, her other brother. The one would no longer even seek her out, for he was high in the Pelori with his wife, Varda.  
  
"Worry not, for we have everything we need aboard my ship." She reassured him, having spent the previous night preparing for their long journey.  
  
Though hesitant at first, Aerilaya's slim fingers suddenly reached out and entwined with Kaliel's thicker ones. A reddish pigment spread across her cheeks shyly upon doing so, heart fluttering against the intense heat of his skin against hers. She had all but forgotten just how warm he was, and how the simplest touch from him could make her senses go haywire.  
  
"Now that you have your weapons, I shall conjure up a portal to the ship. We must leave quickly and in secret, for we do not know if the shadows that linger are friend or foe." She bit her bottom lip and tried not to meet his penetrating golden optics as she spoke.  
  
For a moment Aerilaya absorbed the sunlight in which fell down in shimmering beams around them, using its gentle luminescence to fuel the portal. With a mere twitch of her free hand, a great ball of blinding white light erupted in the space before them. An image of the docks appeared in the sparkling haze, to which she led Kaliel through.  
  
Marbeled floors, shining weapons and dancing leaves fell away in an instant, giving way to an azure ocean and birchwood dock. As the portal behind them faded into memory, Aerilaya let go of her hero's rough hand and glided forward. The scent of salt and lichen weaved around them, along with a chilly breeze that flowed through the Vala's starlit locks.  
  
Grand sails of ivory flapped like an eagle's wings off to the side, the enchanted fabric shining with embroidered silver vines. The ship itself was of medium size, enough to fit a handful of people. From bow to stern the vessel was encased in thick layers of white birch wood, giving it an overall ghostly appeal. In the port of the boat is a small entrance to a cabin below deck that consists of one bed, a cooking station, a fresher and magical wardrobe.  
  
Carmine skirts fluttered in the seabreeze as Aerilaya made her way onto the alabaster vessel, stepping aside to allow Kaliel to join her. The deck of white birch widened out before them like a blanket of snow, with a sturdy mast of matching hue standing in the middle.  
  
"There is a wardrobe of better fitting clothes below deck meant for long travel, Caranor. Our armor, horses and other such provisions are already in the Grey Havens, and we have enough food stocked aboard for two months. Though the journey at sea will take only about a month and half." The Queen's long eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes and breathed in the salt that wreathed around her.  
  
A sigh of content escaped her lungs upon feeling the gentle wind of freedom and adventure tickle her soft flesh. Turning her plum gaze onto the masculine form behind her, she smiled shyly at Kaliel. "I'm afraid we must share a bed and fresher, I hope you do not mind."  
Aerilaya did not wait for his reply before she used her abilities to untie the elfsrope that stayed the board form drifting. She could tell he was having reservations about sailing before, and couldn't risk him turning back now.  
  
The Vala altered the air around her to hit the sail, causing the vessel to suddenly lurch and go underway. With her powering the winds, they should have an easier time reaching Middle-earth.  
Side by side they stood, gazes focused on the vast horizon of vibrant blues and pale greens. By Iluvatar, Aerilaya hoped she didn't just make a terrible mistake by pushing Kaliel into this journey. She barely knew the man, however could not bear the thought of losing him at any point along the way. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, admiring the way his strands of ruby danced like ribbons of fire in the breeze. His exotic beauty was so enrapturing, she thought. Aerilaya knew that if she was not careful along the way, she could lose herself to the burning heat of his citrine gaze.  
  
\--   
  
Behind them shadows stirred within the ivory walls of Valinor.  
  
The departure of a great power had awoken them from their slumber, allowing them to slither like ebony snakes across the cobbled stone of the city. They have missed their opportunity to strike at the heart of Arda, and they knew their master would be furious.  
  
The night before they sought to indulge themselves on the juicy meat of elves foolishly wandering upon evenings descent. They gorged themselves on the immortals pure flesh and drank every last drop of light in their blood, awaiting for the perfect moment to trap the Queen in gaping jaws.  
  
Yet after all the delicious feasting, they had fallen into deep sleep and missed the chance. They groaned at their own stupidity for such an act. If they had not, the pure Queen would surely be theirs by now and then they could bring her to their master. Where he too would take delight in tasting every morsel the Vala could offer.  
  
No matter, they could still take the Queen... just perhaps a little later than intended.  
  
Thus like silent thieves in the night they scurried out of the Elven city. The hunt was truly afoot now. It would be so easy to pluck that pure Queen from the streets of Grey Haven when she arrive.  
  
Then finally, their master could make her light, his.  
  
  
  
| END OF PART 1 |  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now.. it begins..
> 
> Aerilaya's perspective is written by me and Kal's is written by Dan.


	5. The Grey Havens Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After six weeks of sailing, Aerilaya and Kal will arrive in the Gray Havens the following day. While she is excited to return to Middle-earth, there is a nagging feeling that pulls at the Queen, as if to warn her that something foul looms in the shadows of the abandoned port...
> 
> Meanwhile the two have become over their journey, and are slowly starting to realize their feelings for each other.

  
  
  
She has the distinct sense that something ancient and malevolent is operating upon her: a trillion-fingered hand reaching in to caress the very atoms of her being, setting protons a-spin, strumming nerves like guitar strings. A tongue with ten billion slithering forks tasting the surface of her brain. The sense of imminent doom crescendos. She knows, absolutely and utterly, that what is about to happen to her is far worse than death.   
  
The Darkness knows her now.   
  
The thing that has come to kill Arda has her taste.   
  
Then suddenly, she awakens.  
  
_   
  
  
Pale beams of moonlight filter in from the circular window behind her, bathing her chamber with a silvery glow as she slowly opens her eyes. Before she can even start to ponder over her dream, a sudden warmth against her back grabs her attention. Ever so quietly, she peers over her shoulder to check on her sleeping companion. He lay askew in a haven of pillows, limbs splayed against their heaven-like softness. Crimson tendrils spill haphazardly around his crown, the strands messily framing his body and tickling her naked back. She cannot help but blush at the sight of him so comfortable in her bed, relaxed and seemingly at peace in her presence.    
  
Feeling somewhat relieved her handsome knight is deep in slumber, Aerilaya begins to stealthily climb out of bed. She gave into a shiver as her bare feet collided with chilly birchwood before she lift herself off the mattress. Cloth of an alabaster pigment cascades in her wake whilst she retreated from the cabin and climbed the ladder in which led to the upper deck.    
  
It has been six weeks since she and Kaliel set sail. Many awkward situations arose between them on the petite ship, some expected while others were not. To say she did not enjoy such occurrences would be a lie, as she has not enjoyed herself like this in many an age. Perhaps ever, she thinks.    
  
For all the events taking place on the vessel, she has begun to notice a growing attraction between she and her companion. She could often feel his sunlit gaze caress her celestial form, with such a burning intensity that it threatened to devour Aerilaya’s pure self. Yet she was no less guilty than he. When she thought he wasn’t looking, she admired the way his biceps bulged as he work upon the mast, or the attractive way in which he grins.    
  
However what begun as a sexual attraction was evolving into something deeper for the Vala. Such were the ways of the Elves and their Gods, giving not only their bodies to their partners but their hearts and soul. The idea of another half used to frighten her, but she could no longer deny the feelings this man had awoken. By merely being in his presence, he chased away all her darkness and set alight the fire in her veins. If denied, it would surely rip her asunder.    
  
For all her realizations and fading of doubt however, she could feel it in her bones that something waited for them in the Grey Havens. Whether it be the dragon or something far worse, she could no longer tell for inky blackness clouded her vision over Middle-earth. She could feel it writhing beneath her skin, like a shadowed snake within. Sometimes Aerilaya could swear she felt sharp talons rip open her fleshy exterior, or canines sinking into bone.    
  
She dreaded arriving at their destination, which would be tomorrow. The Queen felt nothing but cold, utter fear in the wake of it. Not only for the possibility of evil meeting them there, but because she did not want part from Kaliel. More figuratively than literally. They were forced to get to know eachother better while aboard this ship, and she worried that she would lose any ground she gained when they depart. The fear left a constant sickness in her belly.   
  
A breathless sigh was omitted from Aerilaya while she gracefully padded across the deck to the bow. Her nightgown of translucent pearl danced like waves atop the birch as she went, lush curves shining through the thin fabric whilst the moon illuminate them. Over the last six weeks her hair had grown considerably, now reaching her thighs.    
  
Confident that Kaliel still lay asleep, Aerilaya’s slim fingers reached for the straps of her gown before she pulled them over her pale shoulders. In one swift movement, the silvery gown slid over the swell of her breasts and pooled around her feet. Long waves of liquid starlight brushed against her exposed buttocks and slightly hid her blushed nipples. Stepping away from the fabric, she moved into the everglow of moonlight to let it fully envelope her naked body.    
  
As the Vala closed her eyes, she delighted in the sensation of light being absorbed into her skin. She would do this every so often in the safety of her home; basking in the moonlight to burn away all the corruption that lingered within. It refreshed her abilities, as well as her soul.    
  
The natural white glow of Aerilaya’s frame only intensified as she stood there in all her divinity. By all appearances, she looked as if she truly transcended her vessel and regained her form as utterly pure light. A true being of all light in the universe, of all that is both terrible and good.    
  
-   
  
They waited for her in the shadow of long abandoned elvish houses.    
  
They waited for her with a hungry eagerness about them.    
  
You will bring her to me unspoiled, their Master said.    
  
Thus the ever obedient shadows waited and slept and devoured in anticipation of her.   
  
Soon they and the Master would have her.   
  
And all that is filled with light… shall be eaten.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my starter for part 2. I hope you've all enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two finally discover and give into their feelings for another. However there is always a price for such happiness...

Images of creatures black and corners dark danced across the blackness of Kal's closed eyelids, painting a picture he was not quite prepared to see. Though the splotchy thoughts revealed that him the answer to puzzle, the crimson slumberer was left entirely unaware of the pieces that made it, and so when the disturbances roused him from his sleep, he thought little of it, allowing the dark and foreboding messages to fade into his subconscious, and out of mind.  
  
It had been enough to rouse him, however; and not in the cold sweats that often plagued him when his memories of years past decided to pay him a twisted visit. The worst part was that they were not the way he remembered things. His mind had a way of changing the events of the dream just enough to unsettle him, and leave that feeling with him throughout the day.  
  
Instead, tonight, Kal's greatest concern was the empty divet in the bed beside him. He could still see the slightest depression in the mattress where her light frame had weighed into it, as well as the sheet she'd thrown back in her departure.  
  
This wasn't the first time he'd found himself alone in the bed in the middle of the night, but he'd never before chased her, and when questioned, she'd always been vague in answer. Perhaps she truly did need some fresh air; or perhaps she was up to something Kal ought to know about.  
  
Crawling from their shared safehaven, he stood, taking but a moment to pull a pair of baggy woolen pants up over the thin undergarment he slept in. They were likely meant for an elf shorter than he, based on how they left the ankles naked, but the feni paid no mind, carefully sliding aside the door and climbing up the ladder in search of the restless Vala.  
  
What he saw moved him.  
  
Not sexually, as he might've expected had one told him that he'd walk into the Queen for Valinor in all her naked glory. Instead, the crimson flame paused, thoroughly awestruck by the moon's effect on her skin. What was once pale now gleamed as if coated in quicksilver, ready to dance among the twinkling stars overhead. Celestial was the correct term; even in a realm such as this, where Kal could only feel like an outsider, the Vala seemed improperly placed. She deserved a place of no evils, where no malignant eyes or thoughts could reach her pristine nature. Where not even Kal's good-willed affections could marr her unbridled purity. His fatal attraction to her, in that moment, struck him with a level of guilt that almost made him as seasick as the storm that rocked the ship a week prior.  
  
His hesitation bobbed in his throat, topaz optics staring. Should he say something?  
  
Perhaps he wouldn't have to; their gazes locked, and it was then that he realized his lower lip had fallen slightly agape.  


* * *

  
It was on nights like this that Aerilaya wished she wasn't alone.  
  
Even in the shimmering embrace of her most cherished starlight, she could feel the aching darkness of her vision seep into her bones. She could feel it like its embedded deep within her soul, biding its time until she reveals even a hint of weakness. Whenever corruption such as this loomed, replenishing her abilities in a bath of moonlight would cleanse the void that lingered.  
  
Tonight however, was different. Even as the starlight seemed to melt into her pale flesh, it prevailed. Like an incurable disease it bloomed and hungered while hiding within her very marrow. No matter how hard the Vala tried, it simply would not be expelled from her vessel.  
  
Aerilaya was ashamed, so deeply and terribly ashamed. It wrought salty tears from her magenta hues, in which spilled like falling stars over her cheekbones. Manwe would truly be displeased if he knew of just how frail his beloved sister had become. She who held the most promise, the most goodliness of any being in all of Ea being torn asunder by a mere nightmare.  
  
The Vala felt her knees grow weak as she suppressed the sobs that welled up in her throat, causing her dainty form to collapse onto the white birch of the ships deck. Sorrowful liquid sparkled against her ethereal features as she gazed up at the beauty above before closing her eyes and praying to Eru.  
  
"Where are cin adar? Whui gar- cin abandoned nin na hi dúr amarth?" Her normally pristine vocals shook as she whispered into the dark.  
  
"Im beg cin na bestow cín mel a polod upon nin once more, so i im lothron defeat hi evil in nin! " She called out in Quenya, begging for her fathers aid.  
  
By now it shouldn't have surprised her that her words were met with silence.  
  
Suddenly, a curious sensation rolled across the glow of her unblemished skin, like that of a comforting warmth spreading over her exposed form. Aerilaya released the breath she didn't realize she was holding before she stiffly lifted herself from the wood that pressed against her bottom. So absorbed in self-pity, her elf ears were deaf to his burly form leaving their bed. Yet whenever he was in her vicinity, his inner fire seemed to lick her milky skin, alerting her to his presence.  
  
Ever so slowly, she turned to him.  
  
Aerilaya should have felt alarmed by Kaliel's emotionally intense stare. Instead, she understood. Looking into sun pigmented disks, she could feel her heart swell with overwhelming affection for this man. Making all thoughts prior to his sudden appearance burned away in the wake of the realization, which both scared and excited the maiden.  
  
"You came, Caranor.." She murmured dreamily, a small smile curving her lips. The Queen could no longer deny the feelings she had attempted to bury not so long ago. For now they shone clear and true in her once sorrowful gaze.  
  
She was light as a feather as her voluptuous frame glided across the space between the two beings, stopping but a breath away from the awestruck man. Vibrant plum hues looked up at him from beneath long lashes, with a sort of innocence about them.  
  
“Stay with me?” Aerilaya whispered, cheeks still damp from the tears that stopped as soon as she saw him. “I fear I will not survive this night alone..”  
  
[Where are cin adar? Whui gar- cin abandoned nin na hi dúr amarth? | Where are you father? Why have you abandoned me to this dark fate?]  
  
[Im beg cin na bestow cín mel a polod upon nin once more, so i im lothron defeat hi evil in nin! | I beg you to bestow your love and strength upon me once more, so that I may defeat this evil within myself!]

* * *

  
  
To bear witness to the woes of a beauty of Aerilaya's caliber was enough to move even the unmovable.  
  
There was no telling what it was she cried, now that she fell back upon a tongue the likes of which Kal had never familiarized himself with. If it were some queer breed of elven, or some celestial variety unknown to mortalkind; it mattered little, for despite his ignorance, the very core of her cries was spoken on a level that every man and beast could relate. The sheer desperation in her pleas spoke of a woman distressed and disheveled -- lost and not yet found.  
  
"I did," came an immediate reply, lips moving without leave of their owner. Yet he'd thought it; he couldn't bear the thought of the goddess kneeling in a pool of her own tears while he slumbered the night away just out of sight. From his tongue rolled whatever first came to mind, leaving behind any inhibitions and social stigmas that had kept the fenikkusu's actions behind lock and key for six weeks.  
  
The moonlit deck could've been a plane of ice an inch thick, and their surroundings a frozen tundra. Or perhaps it was a metallic sheet, and they themselves mere dust upon a plate of armor a thousand leagues wide. Any number of possibilities could've been dispelled were his eyes to cast upon the salt-filled ocean horizon that surrounded them, or his neck crane in any which way; but this was far more surreal than the dream he'd just awoken from, for he found himself incapable of seeing beyond the pale beauty and the silver floor she seemed to skate across. There was no turning away; no evading the burden he so joyously accepted.  
  
Kal welcomed her into his open arms with an embrace reserved for a lover. A warrior's arms encase Aerilaya's supple frame in bronze protection. Where one elbow hooked, his naked forearm dove diagonally across her spine, splaying scarred digits across her lower back in soothing hold. The other fit his crimson-stained limb between fragile shoulder-blades.  
  
Running hot touch through silver locks, he drew the Vala's head beside his, so that it found comfort in the crook of his collar. An inferno blazed within his painted torso where their bare skin collided, threatening to set every frazzled nerve of hers alight.  
  
"You won't have to face it alone." Bass, tinged with world-weary gravel, found the Goddess' ear in epiphanic certainty.  
  
Caranor saw a role in himself he did not recognize previously. If it was comfort she desired, she would find it in him. If it were hope, it was here. Love? Even his heart thumped firmly against his breastbone, willingly giving itself to the Vala whose cheeks he could not bear to see wetted.  
  
Loosing the hold he had on her crown, Kal rediscovered her violet stare with newfound confidence. There was no going back from the place he'd decided to go. Not Gray Haven, nor Valinor; Aerilaya's very heart and soul.  
  
She could see it in those golden circlets -- the moment he chose his fate. And with his, hers.  
  
"Find solace in me, Aerilaya Vanlanthoriel."  
  
And with that, his lips crashed upon the Lady of the Valar with unbridled recklessness, stealing away body and mind beneath the judgment of the moon and stars.

* * *

Perhaps Eru had truly heard her cries.  
  
For three thousand years she heard not even the gentlest whisper from her father, He who Watched from Above. As a result, Aerilaya thought herself to be no longer worthy in his eyes. However, perhaps it was by his blessing that Kaliel was placed by her side, a virile being in with a fiery light who now blooms within the darkness of her heart. For so many weary years, she believed she did not deserve to feel any sort of affection for another. Not after suffering the loss of a past love, one of whom should have never been. Not after allowing that love to corrupt her very soul for centuries.  
  
A vast array of emotions flickered across Kaliel's sphene gaze as he suddenly wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her close. Pure bliss washed over the Vala as he surrounded her with indescribable heat, a fervor in which melted into the very flesh of her vessel. She trembled against the sensation of his inner fire tenderly colliding with her immortal light, in which flared up at the slightest touch he gifted her.  
  
We fit well together, she thought distantly. With her the curve of her form pressed against his, she could feel her soft mounds and quickly hardening nipples brush against Kaliel's hard chest. As he breathed, puffs of warm air tickled her nape, coaxing a reddish hue to spread across her cheekbones. Aerilaya held back a delighted moan as his thick digits began to stroke the silvery tendrils of her hair, the feeling practically curling her toes.  
  
She felt as if a fever had hit her from being in such close proximity to this man. At first, she waved it off as nothing but the lust of a very old and lonely woman. Yet, the way he set her very blood blaze with just one cocky smile, or the subtle brush of his fingertips against her cold skin, she fell apart. What was once lust formed into affection, and affection has turned into…  
  
Love. There was no denying it now. There was no going back. Fate had cast its die by sending this fatally magnificent god-like man to her. Now, she had to decide whether to give in or give up, to return to the sorrowful Vala she was.  
  
Aerilaya had made up her mind long ago. For whatever fate has in store for her broken heart or his eternal fire, she would not let go of this uncertain destiny once again. She would give her all to keep it alive, even if that destiny would lead to her demise.  
  
As he pulled her back, her heart swelled upon the collision of his raw, emotional eyes meeting with her magenta haze. There was no going back, she reminded herself. There is only forward.  
A surprised gasp left the Queen's parted lips as his own suddenly crashed against hers. Instead of pushing him away, she abandoned all doubt and met Kaliel's kiss with equal passion. Whether it was right or wrong, Aerilaya no longer seemed to care.  
  
The white light in which illuminated every inch of her flesh only grew brighter and brighter under his attentions, as if her light was trying to express just how g o o d it felt to be devoured by him.  
"I never feel alone when you are with me.." She whispered against his bruised lips, before once again capturing them with hers.  
  
Hesitantly, her fingertips trailed up the sharp divet of his collarbone before traveling up his tanned neck, and gently curling into locks of crimson fire. Meanwhile her other hand gripped his steely, muscled back. With little effort--she hardly weighed more than a feather---she lifted herself and wrapped her thick thighs around his hips, allowing him to firmly grasp her plush bottom.  
  
"Caranor, I would give you all of myself if you would have it.." Aerilaya breathed, stopping to gaze into his glazed optics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter we may finally earn our rating! Let us see how things transpire...


	7. Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is merely a side story Dan I wrote. Since we did a significant time skip, we missed all the awkward situations that could arise between Aeri and Kal while sailing. The main story will resume in the following chapter, of which will be posted soon-ish. That one is to be especially pleasing, as the story will finally earn its rating. ~
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: This chapter has some.. brief masturbation in it.

It hadn't taken him long to remove the slippers, headband, and formal outfit for the boatride to Gray Haven. In fact, he'd spent the entire afternoon walking barefoot in just the gray trousers that she'd chosen for him - they might've been form-fitting, but the silk was comfortable and didn't interfere at all with his movement.

So far, so good. Kal had crossed seas before, and while they were so close to the coast, the waves remained relatively calm, and he was spared the sickness that came with a rocky ship. For now, he managed to keep himself from being too green.

Night had already fallen, casting most of the deck in shadow. Having to dip his head to enter the cabin, he eased himself inside, instantly more comfortable now that the salty breeze and sloshing waves were behind him yet again, and the door shut.

Perhaps he should've knocked. Kal was not yet used to having a roommate, nor the courtesies required. Golden eyes widen with surprise.  
  


* * *

  
Aerilaya had all but disappeared below deck as soon as the duo set sail. She worried not about if they were going in the right direction, for she trusted in Orome's waters and her winds to guide their way safely. The Vala found herself to be quite fatigued after everything that had transpired. Being with Kaliel was like an emotional wild beast, it was fierce and without mercy.  
  
Thus the celestial she-elf took it upon herself to bathe in the small chamber that was their fresher. It was a rather petite room, much to her displeasure. A circular window to the right of the room allowed sunlight to filter in, basking the ivory tub with golden decals in the center with soft light. Opposite to the window was a toilet next to a lavish sink and hanging mirror.  
  
After heating water with her powers and undressing, she poured it into the bath before sinking into it with an exhausted sigh. After a couple moments of sitting in silence, she began to indulge herself a little. Various soaps lay on a mantle off to the side, many of both masculine and feminine scents. Humming a sweet tune to herself, she reached for the lavender soap and began to wash her long hair. After rinsing, she slid the soapy substance over the rest of her naked form.  
  
In that moment a pair of sphene eyes entered her mind. Biting her lip, her hands danced across her silky fresh in an effort to rub the soap in. Thinking of the handsome male made her linger perhaps a little longer than necessary on her nipples--which hardened upon her touch--and heat between her thighs.  
  
An hour or so passed before the water started to lose its warmth and Aerilaya almost grudgingly lifted herself from the ivory tub. Droplets of crystal framed the plump curves of her breasts and trailed down the rounded edges of her hips and back as she crossed the threshold towards a nearby rack. Strands of starlit locks poured down her back like an alabaster waterfall, falling slightly below her tailbone in waves.  
  
Aerilaya lifted the violet satin robe from the rack and wrapped herself in its soft fabric, the robes length ending mid thigh. She didn't bother to tie it up, having forgotten about her associate who she assumed was upper deck. Singing a long forgotten lullaby to herself, she exited the fresher in search for her hairbrush, with the robe hanging loosely and only partially covering her naked breasts, but fully revealing her lean stomach and gap between her thighs.  
  
So absorbed in her task, her elf-ears neglected to pick up the heavy footsteps approaching. She squeaked in surprise and turned sharply towards the door as it suddenly opened, revealing the very same eyes she had thought of not so long ago.

* * *

  
What a v i e w.   
  
No matter how much she pranced around in see-through linens, Kal never got used to laying eyes on her lavish figure. It was one to die for; where the bathrobe hugged wide hips, so too did it abandon a critical strip from inner thighs u p to robe-straining cleavage. No matter how he fought to tear his gaze away, he couldn't deny how the image burnt into his mind; even as he averted his eyes, lips pursing, he could see the gap in those milky pillars, and the pretty pink bud placed between, at the peak of her rosy flower.    
  
"Ah-- have a nice bath?"   
  
If he didn't know any better, he might've suspected something -- her outer petals were flushed and swollen from her extended bath and ministrations, strikingly inviting. An odd feeling swept through his lower half - one that brought him to change his path towards that of the bathroom immediately, aiming to get out of the Vala's hair.    
  
Mostly to take his tightening pants as far away as possible.    
  
"I, ah-- will be right back."   
  


* * *

  
Of all the possible situations she had thought would happen upon their journey, this was not one of them.   
  
Aerilaya noticed the way Kaliel's sphene gaze seemed to caress the exposed, soft curves of her frame. Rather than hurriedly cover herself, she si mply trembled in the wake of his intense eyes drinking in what she had to offer. She could feel herself melting under its heat, along with a fire that raged in her belly.   
  
Lush lips parted in the urge to say something, yet her melodic vocals remained silent. Instead, a pinkish tint raced across her cheekbones and up to the tips of her ears.   
  
Just as she was gathering the courage to speak, he left as quickly as he entered. The Vala had to swallow back a protest upon his departure. For reasons unknown to her, she wished he had stayed.   
  
A confused frown slid across her divine features as she turned back and resumed her search. In moments she found her silver embroidered brush and ran its bristles in long sweeps across the liquid ivory of her hair. Once finished, she strode across the small chamber and chose a new outfit from the boudoir.   
  
Choosing her attire, she slipped it on before facing the mirror. She had opted for a much simpler outfit, consisting of a loose, pirate shirt with laces in the front and white fabric that reached just below her thighs. Since it was a mens shirt, she wore a chunky vine-studded belt around her waist and pair of black boots that ran up over her knees.   
  
Satisfied, she exited the cabin to join her companion on the upper deck. Yet as soon as the seabreeze hit her, she decided it would be better not to search for Kaliel. Aerilaya wasn't feeling abashed by her nudity, rather it would be awkward if he had noticed... other things. Blush still stinging her cheeks, she instead went to the front of the boat to watch the horizon.   
  
This was only one incident, it's not like something similar could occur again... right?   
  


* * *

  
What was he supposed to do? This goddess had summoned him into her realm for a single purpose, yet he couldn't keep his jaw from running slack in her presence, nor temper the ferocity in his groin. It frustrated him for his willpower to be so tested, d espite the power he had over himself in his own dimension - the air here emptied his head of such protections and left him vulnerable.   
  
Standing in the fresher, he unlaced the front of his trousers hurriedly, breathing a sigh of relief when his cramped length pried free, standing at attention and then some. He hadn't encouraged it the slightest bit, but that image of Aerilaya was impossible to cleanse from his tainted mind; he could see her wet-slicked stomach and parted thighs against the backs of his eyelids.   
  
It was no use; he had to put an end to this. A scarred mitt strangled his swollen shaft, and he slowly began to run the inside of his hand up to his bulbous crown and back down. Loose skin shifted with his movements, dragging back and forth incessantly as he pleasured himself.   
  
Hasty footsteps brought him to the tub the Vala had just bathed in. Her floral scent still clung to it, reminding him of the moment he'd embraced her that morning.    
  
How he wished he could've unleashed this pent-up lust between her plush thighs! Images of dripping cleavage and pink, inviting lower lips danced in his mind, dizzying him as he relieved himself into the bathtub, unwittingly splattering the spot she'd seated herself in hot seed.   
  
A low groan originated in his throat, but he bit it back, unwilling to let her eavesdrop on his indecency. A turn of the knob splashed his hot mess down the drain, washing away any evidence of wrongdoing.   
  
Some fresh air would do him good, in hindsight. Still a tad dazed, he stepped out onto the deck, beginning to head towards the front and instead veering starboard once he noticed a familiar figure heading the way. The shame he might feel, if she knew what he'd just done-- nay, what she'd done to him. It was impossible to guess that the feeling was mutual.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kal and Aeri embrace in the moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The much anticipated chapter Dan and I have been working on! I really hope you enjoy it. ~
> 
> Warning: There are graphic descriptions of sex in this chapter. You can skip it if you want, but I'd recommend not to. It's seriously good stuff.

 

It was as though he courted the moonlight itself, with how she glimmered in his arms, reflecting the silver sheen that doused the deck. Bronze captured white; or rather, white threw itself into bronze's awaiting arms, nude legs eagerly ensnaring the lo ose waistline of Kal's pants.   
  
There was little to do but relish one another's company. Sure, they had in the past, but they agreed now to do away with the barriers and inhibitions that kept them out of each other's arms until now.    
  
They were f r e e.   
  
"Then I ought never leave your side," came his breathless retort, smudging the tip of his scarred nose into her luminescent cheek amid wild kisses.   
  
Burly arms reached quickly, expecting to have to catch all six feet of curves, but her lightweight nature fooled him; rather than becoming a net against gravity, his searing touch filled itself with Aerilaya's creamy rump. A reflexive tug drew the Vala more tightly against Kal's masculine structure, better reflecting the stark contrasts in their physiques.   
  
To hear such confidence from the Lady of Valinor's gentle lips spread dandelion circlets wider, slowing him to a halt. Before the moon and starlit night, with nowhere to hide but in the arms of her companion, the Vala offered herself in such a way that deserved recompense.   
  
Not a shred of doubt plagued his response.    
  
"I would," he spoke hoarsely, as if unable to believe his luck. But he evidently accepted it, for their surroundings soon swam around them.    
  
Aerilaya's naked spine was fitted against the mast, pinned in place by the heated torso that leaned into her. Running tantalizing touch across her thighs where still she encased his hips, he held the Valar steady, breaking free from their breathless liplock only to bow his crown beneath the slight of her pale jaw.   
  
Crimson threads dashed him from sight, but the sensation of his lips was dauntingly familiar. Aerilaya's fragile throat became a canvas for bold exploration, and soon her collarbone and the upper half of her pale cleavage suffered the same fate. Salivating maw impatiently tasted the very beginnings of what Aeri had to offer, and Kal found no remorse in how blatantly he ground his pelvis upon her own.    
  
Then they made it to the deck, Kal's knees greedily buckling and allowing Aeri's weight to lightly pressure his groin as the pair lowered. By this time, her fragile cheek was supported by a hand that near enough scooped half her head. A war of tongues bled into inconsistent smooches, and smooches into lip biting. Even now, golden globules scan Aerilaya for a reaction, all the while mischievous pearly-whites tug forward a pink lower petal.   
  
"I would take all of you," he began feverishly, fitting his forehead upon hers. Knees lift behind her rear, helping angle her to straddle his seated lap. Nefarious touch gropes a thick thigh where it meets lush ass, affectionately spreading a pale cheek. The elven leggings did nothing to suppress the obvious shape of his groin, swollen and eager where she readily rode him.    
  
"... take all of you, and leave nothing left for this world."   
  
Dropping from her cheek, a hot palm forced its way towards her heart, instead finding supple resistance in the form of a heavy breast. Pallid fat compresses beneath his hand, subtly reallocating itselt in a delicious wider spread. A deeply-embedded need rose to the surface; he had spent six weeks in the company of such eye candy, but only now learned how sweet it truly was.   
  
His only wish was for the boat's gentle rocking to cease. But with the lustful ambitions that now welled in his mind, something told him that the rest of their nautical adventure would be a rocky one.

* * *

 

Never before in all of her long existence has Aerilaya felt so utterly lost in desire for another. She craved Kaliel in a way an elf shouldn't; she wanted to t a s t e him, to savour his exotic flavour in every way possible. Those of her kind never felt lust and only ever copulated when the need has arisen for a child.  
  
Now that the Queen's round ass was flush against Kal's chiseled abdomen, she trembled with an unspeakable want to just have him inside her. The pulse between her plump thighs was stronger now than in her chest. Aerilaya could feel herself growing so unbearably hot and damp, she could feel the moisture slipping out of her core. With each subtle shift of movement beneath her, she receives another jolt, another zap that shoots through her spine. She wanted nothing more than to pull him even closer, to put some part of him between her legs, to start to fill that unfilled space.  
  
The vala peered down at him through thick lashes, that fluttered against the warm air expelled from his lungs. Along with her growing arousal, she felt such affection for her chosen knight. Too see such things also reflected in his sphene gaze made her heart soar and pace quicken. She knew he wanted her, she not only tell by his eternal flame but the distinct pressure of his hardening length protruding from his pants, probing the swell of her ass.  
  
With a quick kiss, Aerilaya shifted her hips lower, resting her sex directly on his erection. Even through the thin fabric that clung to him, she could feel just how thick and long he was. Keeping her magenta spheres fixed on his tanned face, she began to cheekily torture Kal by rocking her hips against his throbbing cock.  
  
A soft moan slipped between parted lips as she did so, the friction of his pants rubbing against her swollen pearl sending new jolts of pleasure through her lush frame. Her toes curled and she licked her lips, dry from quick breaths. Aerilaya's skin feels so tight and sensitive, the fine hairs on her arms are tiny antennae sending unreasonable sensory input to my brain at the lightest touch.  
  
But it simply wasn't enough. Even with her damp flesh grinding against his member in a delectable way; she felt such a violent need to be fucked by him, right here on the deck of the boat. Perhaps a few more times later in their cabin--  
  
"Please Caranor," the flushed vala pleaded breathlessly, "I-I need you.."

* * *

 

The two might've been sat upon the deck, but his head was in the clouds, and there was no sign of coming down; not when the Light of Valinor so shamelessly offered herself. Many a night of sinful imaginings had lead to this moment. Now that she was in  his arms, it would take Zi Drok himself descending from the heavens to tear him from her moonlit silhouette.   
  
Such irony. He was prepared to fuck the Vala senseless, but not prepared to let the wooden floorboards taint her. Having let her straddle him, he became her mattress, fitting his wide back against the deck of the ship where once moonlight blindly reflected. Crimson pooled thickly around his crown, cushioning him and slithering past his shoulders like seeping blood. The silvery disc in the sky glinted off Kal's dandelion irises, and washed his caramel musculature a paler shade.    
  
Gripping naked hips tightly, he moved the Vala near effortlessly, until thick thighs warmed his ears and he could only find her eyes between the valley of her looming cleavage.    
  
"Prove it," he whispered, his breath hot upon her pink apex. With a slight lift of his head, he placed a single kiss upon her bead. Just when it looked like he was going to withdraw, a soul-stealing lick was delivered to her wet folds, savoring her unapologetic flavor. Meanwhile, a wide hip grew lonely, as Kal's hand slipped behind her and hooked a thumb in his waistband. With a lift of his hips, he flung his virility free, and his crude shape soon laid heavily upon his muscled stomach - waiting for its inevitable turn in the spotlight.

* * *

 

Bathed within the watery white-silver glow of moonlight, the Vala peered beseechingly down at her companion. It was as if he opened the floodgates as he stared back at her with an unmistakable hunger and lust; one that quickly shot another bolt of need through her core.   
Aerilaya almost cried out in disappointment when Kal looked like he might move away. However was pleasantly surprised when his wet appendage suddenly stroked her tender folds, resulting in a sharp "oh!" from the Vala. She instinctively arched into the touch, a wave of pleasure coaxing a loud moan from her throat. As much as she wanted him to devour every ounce of her right then and there, the throbbing need between her dripping thighs demanded /more/.   
  
Through the pleasurable haze, Aerilaya watched from half-open disks as his hand drifted down to pull down his trousers, releasing his straining erection from its confinement. A flood of pure and utter desire shook Aerilaya from the sight of it, so swollen and just begging to take her. Had she not been so tightly wound, she would have taken the time to explore every inch of Kal's heated skin, taste every inch he had to offer. But was panting and oh-so-ready, pleading for relief.   
  
Without hesitation, the she-elf slid her thick thighs from Kal's face and down to where his true treasure lie. Aerilaya's walls clenched so deliciously as she hovered her rounded bottom over his tanned hips, slender fingers snaking across the bulbous head of his manhood before lightly gripping its length.   
  
She watched him carefully, his every expression making her heart beat faster. Her own violet opticals betrayed every emotion she held for him, including the beginnings of a love she denied for so long. Before either of them could change their minds, Aerilaya angled his pulsing rod against her wet entrance. A loud gasp escaped her as she lowered herself onto him, burying his cock inside her.

* * *

 

Grasping hands were sorry to feel her creamy pelvis slip away from his clutches, but the eye contact the two made was enough to make up for the brief irritation that laced his thoughts.    
  
Was it love he saw, or lust? The two were dangerously jumbled to night, and he simply watched as dainty fingers lifted his masculinity skyward to perch herself atop.   
  
And what a sight it was; a figure of curvaceous moonlight straddled his cock underneath the infinitely starry expanse. Her wide, looming hips cast his groin in shadow, and he could only watch with lascivious satisfaction as she plunged the thick silhouette inside her with a collapse of milky thighs.    
  
Gods, she was tight; quivering walls were slow to accept his girth, no matter how slick they had become. Unable to help himself, he rolled his pelvis, driving his raw bulb deeper inside of her inadvertently and reveling in the sensations that came with it.   
  
A hot hand spread across one of her heavy breasts, bunching a handful of perfect flesh within his calloused palm. Pink bud kissed his tender touch in response, grown hard with their shared thrill. But it paled in comparison to how bloated and stiff his shaft felt while the Vala fearlessly speared herself upon him.

* * *

 

Beneath the ever watchful gaze of Iluvatar, Aerilaya wholeheartedly gave herself to the delicious sensations Kal bestowed upon her. She knew that she should be ashamed of taking pleasure in sex, as it was something unheard of for her kind. But in this  moment, she knew that she would gladly give her soul to him just to feel this with him again.   
  
She felt so undeniably complete with his thick cock inside her, as if all she needed to fill that aching void was his fiery embrace. Yet the Vala yearned for him to be closer, to feel the warmth of his tanned flesh against her exposed ethereal form. Compelled by that urge, Aerilaya's dainty fingers snaked across his broad shoulders to gently guide Kal into a sitting position; allowing her rounded breasts to brush against his chiseled chest.   
  
It was in this new position that she finally began to move against him. Their eyes lock as she raises her thick hips before once again sinking down, a soft moan escaping into the skin of his shoulder. The Queen rocks against him slowly, her breath catching as she stretches around him, working to settle into a rhythm that has her trying to muffle the sounds she made.   
  
Aerilaya feels a heated tension rise beneath her navel as he fills her to the hilt. Distantly, she imagines her moans carrying over the lonely sea, rolling across the illuminated liquid and mirrored stars.   
  
Driven by the urge to taste him again, her lush lips capture his as she rocks her hips against his swollen shaft.   
  
"Oh Kal," she groaned against his addictive lips, lost in a haze of both love and pleasure.

* * *

 

She needed not encourage him; Kal was more than eager to straighten and hook his free arm around the Vala that sat in his lap. Deft digits run rivers through her quicksilver mane, drawing her into a liplock that broke momentarily at the peak of every r oll of maternal hips. Each split second that their lips broke free of one another was another second to breathe, and another moment to let loose the carnal sounds that came with lovemaking.   
  
Subtle forward shifts of his pelvis drive opposite each fall of her ass, until his indecent shape filled her lower stomach. A nigh unbearable heat radiated from his thick cock, as if it was the very source of his Flame.    
  
As if he meant to brand her womb with his very presence.   
  
"Gods," he almost swore, pausing momentarily to revel in how her softness so willingly absorbed him.    
  
"I've wanted this for so long.."   
  
Sliding wide hands down the Vala's lithe back, they found new purchase sunk ambitiously into the thick glutes that warmed his thighs. Devious spread exposed their point of sinful connection, and flexing biceps helped lift her hips just enough to teeter upon his bulb before coming crashing down once again. A lip-curling tempo of skin slapping skin was struck, and he'd soon abandoned any hope of maintaining their kiss.   
  
Dipping beneath her jaw, he spread that lost passion across Aerilaya's sternum and naked bust, thanks to her perch atop his lap. He couldn't help himself in her moonlit company; the phoenix found himself aching for every taste.

* * *

 

Eru was surely crying at the sight of his most beloved daughter giving herself so completely to an outsider. That thought did not dampen Aerilaya's need for the flame warrior however, for it was not lust in which clouded her magenta gaze.  
  
She has to remind herself not to be embarrassed by how slick she is, by how much he draws the dampness from within her as he juts in and slides out. Aerilaya wonders if she'll ever feel this far and this close ever again, knowing what it's like to fill herself. Her cunt strains out around him and she's pleasantly surprised by how sized he feels inside her.   
  
Neither one of them is going to last very long like this.  
  
The Vala moans and rocks her hips to draw him in deeper, feeling tightly wound around him from this angle. Feeling invasive, she glances down between the valley of her bouncing breasts to where he thrusts into her. She sees the shiny glaze of her wetness on his shaft as her flushed inner thighs raise, and tries not to be ashamed by how heavily she shudders each time she feels him hit that perfect spot.  
  
Unable to speak amid the haze of pleasure, Aerilaya simply groans wantonly against Kal's heated flesh. She can feel herself near that brink. She can feel that tension pulling deliciously taught in her core, burning brightly in the wake of Kal's intensely heated length.   
  
Emboldened by their abrupt passion, the Vala leans forward slightly to whisper in his ear, "cum with me Kal.."   
  
Despite her rather bold words, a harsh blush flamed her reddish cheeks. Her heart tightened as he met her gaze, of which she could swear she saw a twinkle of determination.

* * *

 

With the Light of Valinor glittering atop his lap, milky palette interrupted only by the flush of color in her cheeks and between her thighs, Kal could swear it was an angel that rode him and not a being of flesh and blood.  
  
Determination was right; having finally been given leave to do as his body had longed for, there was little to stop him from venting all his pent-up lusts and sexual frustrations on the Valar. And vent he did. Bold grip upon wide hips bounced Aerilaya upon his lap with increased vigor, while his lips tried with futility to latch onto one of her jolting nipples. Each time he fit the hardened bud between his lips, it bounced free, but not once did it dissuade him from trying again and again.   
  
How could such a regal voice drawl such sin? It only turned him on further, propelling him fearlessly toward the point of no return.   
  
One could almost spot the light dawn in his eyes; stretching out onto his back with arms crossed around her upper back, he took the Vala with him, flattening her tummy atop his chiseled abdomen and spilling full tits on either side of his jaw, threatening to suffocate him. Vicegrip like steel snatches motherly hips, freezing her lower half in place while his own sets out to absolutely ravage her.  
  
Creamy cheeks shudder with each fervent upward thrust, giving her a slight jolt forward even through his tight hold. Back to back to back, his relentless cock stretched her aching cavity to the limit, testing her resolve with an increasingly ludicrous tempo.   
  
It was when her insides began to twist and her body shudder when bulky arms crossed tightly over Aerilaya's midsection, plastering her against him snugly and bracing her against his final impale into her stomach. A muffled groan into full tits is the harbinger of the torrent of hot seed that began to splatter the defiled Vala's womb, in plain sight of the moon and stars that watched on in hushed silence.

* * *

 

Just when Aerilaya feared she could take no more, her crimson knight took control of her hot, trembling body. A soft sigh left parted lips before it turned into a sudden cry upon feeling Kal turn into a wild animal and fuck her ethereal pussy every so vigorously.  
  
The scrape of his cock against her cunt brought her closer to a volcanic explosion that threatened to consume her. In the wet passion that overtook her, her mouth came down to bite his shoulder, leaving bruised indents behind on his sweaty, tanned flesh.  
  
It was then that it hit her. So abruptly and out of the blue. She screamed as she came for him, exploding over his swollen shaft and showering it with hot fluids. Aerilaya's muscled clenched his shaft as he pushed deeper into his massive tool, his balls slamming against her ass as she felt herself shake with lust.  
  
"Ohh.. Kal!" Aerilaya cried out into the starry night, so deliciously lost in the ecstasy and love he bestowed upon her. On the very brink of orgasm, the bright white light that encased her silhouette intensified. It grew with every frantic heartbeat, gradually becoming a blinding beacon of pure starlight.  
  
Cascading falls of melted honey flowed down the velvet sides of her pussy, every joint in her body stiffened. She couldn't breathe, think or speak. For a moment she couldn't even see. She was just.. existing in a black abyss that was void of all feeling and colour. Then as if someone flicked on a switch, a blinding shot slammed into her and Aerilaya's eyes shot open.  
  
"Oh, by Eru's light!" She screamed as his shot of seed filled her cunt. It was as if he poured lava into her belly, scorching every ounce of sensitive skin within. "I-I love you Kal!" Perhaps it was rather soon to say such words amidst their passion, but the Vala felt just so wonderfully overwhelmed with love for the man. Rapid waves of come slithered down her shivering frame, soaking her lover, dripping down his shaft, enveloping his balls, and sliding over her creamy thighs.  
  
Salty, shimmering tears slid like falling stars down Aerilaya's flushed cheeks as she melted into Kal's embrace. A tingling sensation fluttered across her fingertips and seeped into her bones, along with a delicious that remain from her lover's spilled seed. The maiden shifted upon his still engorged shaft before leaning forth to reward the male with a gentle kiss, wrapping her slender arms around his sweaty neck and bringing her heavy breasts flush against his chest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the last chapter..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to worry, this story isn't going to be 100% pure smut. My co-writer was just adamant to make this a night to remember... There may be one more smutty interlude before our two lovers make it to Middle-earth's shores, so there shall finally be some plot with this wonderful porn. 
> 
> Warning: There is graphic sexual content in this chapter. If that's not your thing then skip to the next chapter! Though that one might not be any better.

Waves of bliss were still rocking the painted feni; his stiffened cock was still pumping sporadic clots of hot cream into the Vala when her bold declaration of love fell on unsuspecting ears. It did nothing to sour the moment - after all, Kal had just pledged himself to her, and she to him. Was taking this next step really any different?  
  
Ecstasy told him it mattered none; not when their blended vigor oozed down his shaft in such shameless excess. As if to reassure her that she was not alone in this feeling, he slowly rolled his hips upward one last time during that breathless kiss, displacing some of his own seed with a measured pump.  
  
But it just wasn't enough. It never would be.  
  
"Aeri," he murmured softly, breaking the kiss to fixate a glazed golden stare upon her. If he had said anything else, it might've diminished the moment. A small peck found her lips again while scarred filled themselves with her rump, squeezing, squeezing,  
  
until his weight surged on one side and the Queen of Valinor swapped places with him.   
  
Index and middle place themselves within the Vala's dainty mouth, and the fenikkusu straightened, giving her clear sight of their joined sexes. A downward compress of her tongue brought her jaw down, forcing her to w a t c h as he pulled himself from her flushed depths, coated in a dripping sheen that absolutely glistened like quicksilver in the moonlight. And so he allowed his cock to hang, painting her thighs even paler droplet by sticky droplet.   
  
Never e n o u g h.  
  
Fitting his unrelenting head between swollen folds, he began another descent into her tender pussy, forcing each creamy thigh into a wide V. And so he folded Aeri back on herself, lifting her ass ever so slightly while his cock impaled her twitching core yet again.   
  
Lengths of crimson fell past broad shoulders where he towered above her, tickling a heavy bust and tapered waist with lengthy silk. Momentum quickly gathered, his path slick with their own climax, and the rowdy sounds of their wet lovemaking marked their second round -- and the phoenix was determined to leave his mark on her. As deep as he could etch it.

 

* * *

 

 

Kal's finger tips were electric, they must be, for wherever they touched, her skin tingled in a frenzy of static. As his hands move over her heated flesh, her body had a transitory paralysis, her mind unable to process the pleasure so fast, only having just been brought to orgasm only moments ago.   
  
Aerilaya breathed in deep. In. Out. She barely even had time to think before her lover abruptly switches places with her, the curve of her back pressing against the cool wood of the deck. Liquid carmine streamed down broad shoulders as Kal loomed over her, golden optics glinting in the moonlight. Her wet inner thighs quivered at the sight he portrayed. So powerful, so hungry and ready to consume the delicious meal beneath him.  
  
She surrendered to him utterly and completely as he pried her pale knees apart, allowing them to tighten around his lean hips. Lost in the intoxicating lust building anew, she barely felt any pain as his thick cock left her drenched core, only to plunge once more into her depths. Her throbbing walls tightened around his engorged length almost immediately, of which were already coated with their combined juices.   
  
Quivering hips bucked lightly against Kal's lean abdomen as his calloused fingers clenched her sides, leaving his claim upon her in the form of lavender bruises. She felt sorrow upon knowing they would fade, the blooming marks that tainted her very soul. Something that would have reminded her that she was his every time she glanced at them.  
  
Aerilaya's magenta eyes fluttered shut. She was lost in a world of sensation and feeling, surrounded by Kal's unrelenting love and desire, concentrated at where he filled her so delightfully. Heated, sticky flesh brushed momentarily against something within her that had her gasping and moaning, crying out syllables that could have been his name.  
  
Almost instinctively, she let her mind penetrate his as it opened up to her. Ever so delicately she touched him there with the finesse of someone who is well-practiced at their work. She wove together strands of their spirit, not enough to form a marriage bond, just enough so that they would be aware of one another and at times could communicate by sending emotion to one another.  
  
With this temporary connection, Aerilaya could now feel what he felt and vice versa. She shuddered against the sudden sensation of Kal's fiery arousal, and in turn hers was heightened.   
  
How was she to put their love into mere words? Something of which struck them both out of the blue, with an unrelenting passion. An entire ocean of ink wouldn't be enough to describe them. They were a starburst of light amongst the darkening dusk. They were all the stars in the sky condensed into a single point. They were everything and nothing at the same time.  
  
Together, they were both a beautiful dream and a catastrophic nightmare.

 

* * *

 

 

It was not easy to place a finger on what exactly the fenikkusu felt once the connection was established between them. Something in the back of his mind switched on, as if it'd been dormant his entire life; a sudden awareness of another dimension of emotion and feeling ran through him where her essence merged with his own. And for a fleeting moment, he became self-aware of the pangs of satisfaction she shared with him every time he mashed his pelvis upon hers.  
  
Every moan was felt before it was heard; every shudder shared. Clasping the underside of her lifted thighs, he weighed more heavily into them, as if ready to fold her in two against the deck. Every downward thrust into her exposed pussy seemingly carried that violent intent, recklessly flushing her outer lips a puffy red.  
  
There was not an inch of that ship he did not desire to make a memory of, in that instant. Scooping powerful arms around her, he stood up, carrying her a few steps until her lower back dug into the railing. Her silver locks fell over the side, hovering over the water's surface while he continued to nail her portside.   
  
Supporting a deep arch in the Vala's creamy spine, he let her head dip back, spreading wet kisses across her exposed chest. Desperate thrusts painted her rear a soft red, until bronze lips latched onto a hardened nipple and he drove his bulb against her cervix one last time.   
  
From hanging balls traveled a tide of hot euphoria, soon spilling inside her stomach in dreamy excess. It only added to the overflow, soaking their sexes even further, and he muffled his groan against her heavy breast, shoving his scarred nasal into plush fat.  
  
Though she teetered on the edge, he would never allow her to slip. Not while her knees draped over his upper arms; not while he still breathed. But while her orgasm combined with his, he could never get enough.

 

* * *

 

 

She is nothing now, but currents of pleasure, pleasure breathing in and gushing out, 𝓫𝓻𝒆𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 in and 𝓰𝓾𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 out. How could she hold such an ocean inside her?  
  
Just like how their bodies intertwined, their minds became one. It was as if all become clear in the symphony of their minds, of which made Aerilaya feel deliciously complete. Fire licked her spine as she was hit by a wave of Kal's incoming pleasure, suddenly aware of just how 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹 it felt to have her tight, wet pussy stretch around his engorged length. She was lost in him, her slick arousal climbing towards a cliff of ecstasy.   
  
Slender digits dug into the hard muscle along Kal's back, leaving small bruises in the tanned flesh there. She was dimly aware of him picking her up and moving them starboard before resting her glistening ass against the ivory birchwood. Amidst the haze of frantic lovemaking, Aerilaya couldn't find it in herself to care about how uncomfortable their new position was. Her thoughts, her feelings, her pleasure were all for him and nothing else. He filled her so completely, a raging sun in a pool of stars, and her body lost control beneath his finger tips.   
  
As his balls slapped against her plush cheeks, she whimpered and tried not to let the intense pleasure get to be too much. It was like a hot fire in her cunt, building with each roll of his hips and hungry glint in his sphene gaze. It felt so good it brought tears to her eyes in the form of liquid stars.  
  
"Mmmm-hmm!" Aerilaya gasped when she felt a tight squeeze in her stomach. Every muscle in her hips was squeezing in on the heat of her crotch, the pleasure building to a level she never knew she could get to.   
  
They fuck with a rabid, focused intensity. 𝓓𝒆𝓼𝓲𝓻𝒆 and 𝒇𝒆𝓪𝓻. Mysteriously entwined threads that weave this heightened electricity through her body. Her orgasm, a white-hot flash of neon luminescence. Splitting through the dark unknown of moonlit shadows.   
  
Her cunt tightened, then released, and a wave of hot liquid poured out of her pussy and all over his cock, drenching his balls so they made a loud slapping sound against her hips. She screamed, but it was with an intense pleasure that made her milky frame quiver. Just as she released, so did her crimson lover. All of his cum shot out of his shaft and flooded her wet sex. It left her twitching walls and insides coated in a pleasurable burn, as if he spilled his unquenchable fire into the depths of her.  
  
Stars light the sky like snow-flakes in the night, yet appear still, like a painting. Aerilaya smiles as her body begins to relax and ride the gentle ripple of her release. Were she out there in space, riding the limits of the unknown universe, they would be a choreographed blizzard. How the stars would move, the galaxies tumble and dart. But for now, with her arms wrapped around Kal's broad shoulders and her dazed features facing the canvas above, the starlight kept its familiar pattern. The constellations, who'd witnessed centuries and millennia just the same, watched over this tiny moment between two lovers.

 

* * *

 

 

Bit by bit, his breath returned to him, and his crimson crown lifted to fit tawny lips against a maw too soft for this world. It was far too sweet a liplock for the sensational lovemaking it followed, returning instead to the flow of their very first p assionate embrace earlier in the night.  
  
Carefully guiding her legs off his shoulders, he brought her thighs in gentle squeeze around his hips nonetheless, encouraging a lock of legs that would lessen her already feather-light weight. Sweat slicked his abdomen, causing them to glisten disproportionately in the moonlight, and his eyes were half-lidded and thoroughly glazed when they sought hers. Hands calloused by war and bronzed by the sun scooped a plush rear from the railing nigh effortlessly, and for a moment longer he dared merely hold her delightful shape against his.   
  
"Come back to bed with me," was all he whispered, his words tickling her bottom lip as his nose briefly straddled hers. Foreheads aligned, he held that stance a moment longer, savouring the link she made. Everything that blossomed with her was felt inside him, too, and their wet link that he refused to interrupt was doubly comforting -- it was as though the moment he tried to pull from her, he'd lose that connection. For tonight, they would be inseparable.  
  
The heavy pad of bare feet carried the pair toward their bedchambers. He freed a hand to descend the ladder backwards-- bounding to the cabin floor after only a rung or two and securing her tightly in his arms so as to lessen some of the jolt. Juices dripped down their legs, leaving a trail of droplets as he crossed the darkened interior to the silhouette of the bed he'd awoken lonely in.  
  
Never letting the two part, he lowered the Vala upon her pale spine gently, and with her lowered himself, blanketing her with his gladiatoresque frame. The prop of an elbow helped lessen the extent of his weight, and he moved carefully against her, knowing just how sensitive the pair had become to even the slightest adjustment.   
  
An endless tide of kisses welcomed her back to their shared sheets, but his every action was now slow and measured; even the motion of his hips. He had yet to soften inside her, and instead he shifted sleepily, savoring the slow back and forth that continually warmed his inflamed groin. His tempo was almost more comforting than stimulating, and it could be felt by the way he held her, eyes closed and muscles relaxed.   
  
This was how he wanted to sleep; buried comfortably inside Eru's Light.


	10. The Darkness Within Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of Part 2.   
> The shadow of the Gray Havens looms in the distance and the lover's journey by sea has come to an end. An unseen darkness awaits them in the ancient port, ever-watchful from the shore as the Vala's vessel approaches. Soon she will arrive.. and only then will their master finally take her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated the previous chapter with Dan's last reply, so give it a read if you're confused on this chapter!

Morning had only just broken over the horizon by the time Aerilaya regretfully withdrew from the warm confines of her bed, and the body that rests there. As her dainty feet met with that of wood, a delicious soreness laced within her thighs and abdomen, reminding the Vala of what had transpired the night previous. A scarlet tinge tickled her cheeks as a shiver ran down her naked flesh, their passionate embrace like a beacon of fire in her mind.   
  
Overcome by this new, mysterious emotion she leaned back to brush her lips upon the curve of her lover's ear, being careful not to disturb his peaceful slumber.   
  
As Aerilaya detached herself from Kal once more, she left the bed and made way for her wardrobe. Instead of her usual attire of flowing gowns she opted for her traveling leathers instead. The main dress that now clung to her wide hips was a dark emerald in colour, with a split that traveled up her thighs. A pair of well-worn chestnut boots graced her feet, of which ended just over her knees, whilst a cloak of pine wrapped itself around her exposed shoulders, fluttering silently in her wake as she reached for her bow.   
  
A gentle smile lit up her features as she glanced back one last time at her companion before dipping out the cabin door. Tying up her thick locks of platinum white into a loose ponytail, morning greeted her as she arrived upon the top deck.   
  
The sun had risen in a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest. As darkness surrendered, every colour changed from tinges of charcoal to a vibrancy. These days Aerilaya wondered what she had to give in return for such gifts of divine magic; perhaps it is our love, perhaps we radiate it into space; perhaps that is our connection to creation beyond the borders of Arda, our reality. Perhaps inside she too is gold, a bright flame that burns for another kind. For her, that's a thought as warm as any bright new day, one that tickles her mind as much as her heart.   
  
Across the glimmering sea rose a shadow cloaked in dawn, piercing the veil of water and towering high above the rich morning hues. Finally, after so many weeks of being at sea, Middle-earth had come into view.   
  
With that, the Vala used her abilities to strengthen the current, propelling the ship across the water. Wind was blowing, and the sea was gray and white, with long breaking waves, across which Aerilaya's vessel was racing half-buried in spray. It was a shame Kal still lay naked and buried beneath the furs she had laid atop him, unable to enjoy the wild scenery stretched out across the horizon. Every wave seemed to be making enthusiastic, eager haste to the shore, with long, irised tresses streaming from its tops, some of its outer fringes borne away in scud to refresh the wind, all rolling, pitching, flying water exulting in the beauty of rainbow light.   
  
Eventually the beautiful violence of the waves dissipated, allowing the vessel to slide across serene liquid of mirrored sunlight. It was as if all of a sudden a magical peace had descended upon the sea as it guided the ship through a crack within towering mountains.   
  
They had arrived at the Gray Havens.   
  
Aerilaya gasped aloud as her elf-eyes caught sight of the glimmering ruins of the once bustling port. Shadows had fallen in the valley before the maiden, but there was still light on the faces of the mountains that enveloped the city. The air was warm. The sound of running and falling water was loud, and the morning was filled with a faint scent of trees and flowers, as if summer still lingered despite the city's decay. Across the water immense sequoias bent into graceful arches, crisscrossed by bridges of snowy marble, with shattered windows etched into the trunks, illuminating the rooms within. The marble in which encased every building had given way to a jungle of rich greens, growing ever wild along the carefully carved stone houses and bridges.   
  
Yet for all the overgrown beauty and warmth it held, darkness lingered in the streets. Aerilaya felt a disturbance on the edge of her senses, one cloaked in an endless, unforgiving black. It's charcoal tendrils licked at her spine, inviting her to move closer, to delve deeper into the abandoned port.   
  
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she guided the vessel into the dock until the ship aligned with the outstretched rotting wood.   
  
There was no going back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The journey has only just begun, my lovelies. Much awaits the pair on their journey to Mordor.

**Author's Note:**

> Aerilaya and Kal do not actually exist in Tolkien's universe, as they are both characters owned by me and my friend Dan. I write Aeri's perspective while Dan writes Kal's. All other characters in this story are owned by Tolkien.


End file.
